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scribbly-dee · 3 years ago

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Jon was a better pick for head archivist (the profession not the godhood) than Sasha according to me, a Jon apologist/Sasha stan with a masters degree in information science

1) a disaster pit of an archive like Gertrude's requires a work horse like s1 Jon, not someone easily lost in the weeds like Sasha. For a body of information that huge, with subject matter that broad (even just 15 fear subjects is broad when you consider the overlap and highly subjective, contrasting nature of the statements), you want to create as little work for yourself as possible until you've built a foundation. Ergo, in this early stage you want a project manager who has the ability to burn through busy work, resists distractions, and remains open to his team's input for future endeavors while keeping them on track.

I also have a hc that a disorganized archive bolstered the Eye's hold rather than undermined it because that meant that only Eye-aligned people had the ability to navigate it. So in a normal case, I'd assume they could just call up one of their sister archives and borrow their database or taxonomy, because why reinvent the wheel, but here I suspect that messy records were an industry standard designed to lure in people with a craving for tidy answers. It's possible that no-one at any location had successfully organized their statements, or at least not before getting indoctrinated with some mark or another and abandoning the task.

2) Referring to statements by their dates isn't a bad idea when first tackling a project this unclear. When you create a spreadsheet map of your body of information (literally just a giant inventory list), I was taught to also provide an ID column to designate each collection item with a uniformed shorthand for easy, clear communication and notes. Think dewey decimal. It can be something simple as sequential numbers or dates. Why use dates and not statement giver names? Confidentiality is likely a behind the scenes factor in statement acquisition. Some of the statements are anonymous. Some names double. And the series demonstrates that statement givers rarely visit twice in one day, much less twice a week or month, and even if there are, they can tack a .1 on the end or something. This shorthand ID key will likely change no matter what once they familiarize themselves with the content enough to build a more thoughtful catalogue. So since that makes this a placeholder anyway, dates as a good-enough-lets-keep-moving ID would be my pick, too, ESPECIALLY because of point #3

3) the catalogue is nonexistent in s1, so the most pressing task is to create a taxonomy. Remember, a catalogue is a giant inventory list, a taxonomy is a predetermined, uniformed list of words to be used as metadata, which is like tags. We need taxonomies because a computer will think that The Eye =/= Beholding, so we build catalogues that only allow people to utilize one synonym to avoid inconsistencies. Building a taxonomy would be atypically difficult in the magnus archives, considering how unrelated or overlapping or contradicting all the statements are to someone not in the Know. Trying to pin down a vocabulary on day one will only create more work because it'll almost definitely need massive revisions. That's why it makes sense for someone to closely read several random statements with post-follow-up clarification in order to analyze the subject matter and slowly define a work-in-progress metadata. If they have a chance to kill two birds with one stone by making a recording? Go for it. I would not commit this task to EVERY STATEMENT EVER, but rather to a handful at first to help chisel out that high priority taxonomy, which is what one statement per week amounts to. Which leads me to point 4:

4) Jon's attitude toward s1 Martin was uncalled for and unprofessional, but Jon's frustration makes sense. Martin's existence on that team was likely justified to Jon by his fake masters in parascience, which makes Martin the technical subject matter expert. He's presumed the only one qualified to determine that critically important taxonomy because it'll have to be consistent with vocabulary and classification systems already established in Martin's field of study so that visiting experts can easily navigate it. Martin 🙃 is none of these things 🙃. So from Jon's pov, his technical subject matter expert is either A) being deliberately obtuse by offering tea and conversations about jigsaw puzzles with old ladies instead of results, which adds work to his already enormously laborious project For Funsies I Guess??? or B) Martin did not retain his masters program/doesn't know how to apply his skills practically and therefore isn't actually qualified to help with the task at hand. Or? C) Martin got a bullshit degree, landed a job where he can't get fired (supernatural contracts aside, libraries are famous for job security) and is now half-assing assignments that Jon is on the hook for since he knows he can get away with it, because tbqh some coworkers are genuinely Like That. All of which means that Jon now has to cover their collective asses by overworking to compensate for Martin's perceived fallthrough and record/analyze the statements himself to protect his team and to avoid admitting he couldn't succeed with Elias' hand picked resources.

This is maybe the most frequent citation against Jon's management skills, but the only reason Sasha may have avoided the same trap is because she invaded Martin's privacy and learned about his lie. Which... doesn't really improve the situation, just creates new problems. And also takes us to #5:

5) Sasha, light of my life, did not have people skills that made her excel at managment just because she's charming and confident. The main reason: she's habitually invasive as a coworker and employee. Imagine the conflict that behavior would have shifted into if the power dynamics tilted, if she was in charge of the people she wanted information from (it's an excellent, rich source of conflict, tho, don't get me wrong.)

Jon stalked Tim for a few weeks, maybe a month or two, because he was scared for his life and this became the catalyst for their relationship deterioration. Comparatively, Sasha stalked Jon and Martin presumably their entire working relationship, or at least enough to at least learn Jon's real age/multiple password changes and Martin's fake CV secret, all for fun. Moving past s1, Jon accidentally compelled mundane secrets out of Melanie and Basira which resulted in swift retribution. How long do you think those two would have humored Sasha's active, remorseless boredom?

Also? If the only issue is people skills, then tbh if I was coordinating this employee transfer, I would say to myself "I've heard that Jon's occasionally difficult to work with, but his work style is suited for the task. I'll just let him pick his team to make sure he gets along with everyone. We need a subject matter expert tho, so I'll include that one guy in the library who's a cuddly people pleaser, that will help smooth over any clashing personalities."

6) oh? Jon deniers say this is a public facing job and he needs to be more lovely? Bitch, the public treats jobs like this as basically free, walk in therapy. I've had public facing jobs similar to Jon's. If you don't go in with firm, predetermined boundaries, you'll burn out immediately and become a doormat. If anything, s1 Jon is the perfect combination of "my job is to offer One Service, and if that is not the service you need then move along, I'm not being paid to suffer fools." mixed with "I've decided my One Service includes a willingness to listen in full and let you define your experiences for yourself in a time when the world is likely trying to dismiss your fear and tell you what you saw."

7) insofar as formal training goes, information science is the type of field where sometimes people are just absurdly suited for it because they already interact with the world with those skills. I have a coworker who basically gave a work training on Info Sci fundamentals for fun and when I tagged up with her after, she had no idea that was even a field. Jon and Sasha imo are among those types that click naturally with information science, so I personally do not fault them for not having a specialized degree. If anything, Jon might have recognized his natural inclination and applied for the job for that reason a la "might as well, the worst that can happen is I'm told no." Did they all still need some kind of formal training to properly manage an archive? Yes. Was their need for guidance JUST info sci related or did they much more desperately need real answers on malevolent eldritch forces obfuscated from them to prevent them from safely doing their jobs? Probably a combination, but leaning much more heavily toward the later. So imo, they weren't unqualified because they didn't have a grasp on info sci, they were unqualified because there was a 200yo contrived plan to keep them ignorant.

#long post #the magnus archives #jon sims #sasha james #tma #magpod

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leweebdepoche · 3 years ago

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A selection of Animation movies o(*￣▽￣*)ブ

THE BOY AND THE BEAST (fantasy/adventure) 2015 - Film

Mamoru Hosoda

Rating : 10/10

A brightly colored masterpiece, The Boy and the Beast will immerse you in Japanese folklore and traditions. If there's one thing to remember about this anime, it's that you shouldn't get lost in the back streets of Tokyo or you'll find yourself in the world of beasts. Embark with Ren on an adventure alongside one of these beasts, Kumatetsu, who will take him under his wing after he loses his mother and his father disappears into thin air. Growing up following the bushido path under Kumatetsu's supervision, who fills the void left by his parents, Ren is faced with the very difficult choice of returning to his human life or following in the footsteps of the beast who raised him all these years. Lovers of katanas and kendo, you will love The Boy and the Beast. A true tribute to this Japanese philosophy, it also explores with great sensitivity the issues of abandonment and adoption. A terribly touching story that perfectly grasps the difficult question of self-acceptance and the determinism that everyone is born with, this anime is a real journey of learning about parenthood and forgiveness. Its approach to human psychology will charm you as much as its fights for the place of the king of beasts will fascinate you.

Beware, however, that sensitive souls should not watch it! The emotions are very strong, in keeping with Mamoru Hosoda's style. If you remember Ame and Yuki the Wolf Children, then you can guess how difficult it is to hold back tears when watching The Boy and the Beast. However, this emotional story will leave its mark on you, and you will never regret shedding those few tears for such a beautiful, moving story! So grab your katana, and join Ren and Kumatetsu in their fairy tale for a night, it will do you a world of good.

SPIRITED AWAY (Drama/Adventure/Fantasy) 2001 - Film

Hayao Miyazaki

Rating : 10/10

An impromptu journey to the realm of infinite possibilities, Spirited Away has certainly not stolen its title of legendary anime. A work as poetic as it is sensitive, the story of the beautiful encounter between Haku and Chihiro will take you on a journey to a world on the edge of our universe. Don't expect anything or hope for everything, you will be satisfied in any case. With creativity that is one of an art master, music that impeccably serves the story and its emotions, and characters that are as atypical as they are endearing, you will spend two hours cut off from time in the abandoned theme park where Chihiro gets lost when she moves out with her parents. The ten-year-old girl is forced to face her fears and take charge of the situation in the absence of the adults, who have been transformed into pigs. Courageous and intelligent, she will make her way in this world that is not her own and will impress you with her great maturity in bravely facing difficulties, never letting herself be defeated, and never hesitating to save the people she cares about.

A testament to Miyazaki's undeniable genius, Spirited Away is a work of art in every aspect. With its inimitable and unmistakable story, its delightful music, and its out-of-this-world universe, you'll discover a clever blend of sensitivity and fantasy that you'll enjoy with your family on a Saturday night by the fire. Don't wait any longer and explore the abandoned theme park with Chihiro! But beware of the cursed gods, where you risk being eaten, and above all, do not let Yubaba steal your name...

PENGUIN HIGHWAY (Adventure/Mystery/Fantasy/Comedy) 2018 - Film

Makoto Ueda/Hiroyasu Ishida

Rating : 10/10

Imagine a world overrun by penguins, appearing from all directions, popping up in everyday objects. Imagine throwing a can of Coke and seeing it transform into this charming black and white animal before hitting the ground. Impossible, you might ask? But that's what happens to the young Aoyama. A primary school student, he follows with fascination the unexplained appearance of penguins in his small town in Japan. A seemingly childish story, Penguin Highway actually has a much deeper meaning than it appears. Successfully blending supernatural and comedy, this anime will bring a welcome breath of fresh air to this sometimes too dark world. Performing the perilous exercise of using scientific research to explain the unexplainable, the senseless, Aoyama and his two friends will effortlessly take you along their paths of curious, adventure-loving children. Facing life with their own understanding and using the tools of adults, Penguin Highway is also a beautiful anime about childhood and its treasures. You will relive your childhood adventures through Aoyama's mockery and passion for understanding the world around him.

An insidious message about pollution in the world, never explicit but always present for the attentive spectator, you will find the subtlety of this anime in all the detours of the story. Far from being a train heading straight for its destination, don't be afraid to see the train get more and more out of rails as the story gets out of control. Let it take you on a journey into imaginary worlds, each more fascinating than the last. For a family adventure, curious and ready to be surprised, this anime is your choice for those long and chaotic days. "Open the window, breathe, and watch the penguins in your garden" will become your new mantra.

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lilyrachelcassidy · 3 years ago

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Moonlight

Draco x Reader One-Shot

Summary: This is based off the song ‘Moonlight’ by Ariana Grande. During the bad times of War, not everything has to be so black-and-white. Both Y/N and Draco know it just too well.

Word Count: 2.6k

Warnings: language

tags: @drawlfoy @eltanin-malfoy

Composing yourself had been more than a hard thing to ask for lately.

The Death Eater had finally taken Hogwarts under their control; famous Harry Potter, who was allegedly supposed to play a hero, disappeared in the depth of the unknown; the plan of escaping the school turned out to be an utter failure since the Dementors encircled and blocked every passage of absconding, escalating the disappointment over students.

Yet you hadn't thought of the plan B as an alternative solution, but you were sure, even if you managed to find one, it might take a few more months to figure things out. And you had to admit that increasing anxiety about your parents made you cry yourself to sleep at night. Despite your insistent pleads of the letters to contact you, you hadn't received any response or other sign of life ever since over two months of a constant worry.

And yet, it wasn't the worst part.

The Carrows, who unwarrantedly preferred to call themselves professors Carrows from now on, had decided to introduce their new methods of teaching everyone. And punishing for any triviality.

Once, for example, in Charms class -- which was the worst nightmare of a week -- you had been asked to stand up in front of the class and demonstrate a Crucio curse on the First Year who happened to accidentally bump into Alecto in the corridor. Obviously, you hadn't obeyed an imposed task to which Carrows only reacted with unrestrained rage. Instead of punishing the eleven-year-old boy, the lesson had turned out to be your disciplining session of torture for not being submissive enough. Although the feat had brought you more renown later on, which served to make Carrows more flustered, you still couldn't get out of the Hospital Wing for whole three days.

All of that also led your Occulumency to suffer, which was doubling the struggle. There was for sure no doubt it was an important skill to have, not only to create a mental barrier protecting yourself from uninvited intruders; but also preventing others' thoughts from leaking into your head. It was already enough of bearing the non-stopping suspense in the air. So, the idea of accumulating more emotions on your account would probably navigate to an outburst.

One thing, however, surprised you. You had found out that people who outwardly seemed to have quite a reputation of cruel tossers were actually more decent and human than you could think. In particular, certain Draco Malfoy, who had been selected as a Head Boy in terms of this year.

Wandering around the school and doing the night patrols, he had happened to find you sitting hunched over, face buried in your knees, and sobbing brokenly at the fate the Wizarding World was faced to deal with. He had flumped next to you, without question, silently accompanying and comforting you in moments of solitude.

Two other times of your encounter had been in the library: spotting you among the crowd of students, he would come over and take a nearby place. You didn't know whether it was a matter of pride or disposition, but he had never spoken up, which you, in fact, didn't mind. At first, you had been a little bit dubious about his sudden influx of approachability. However, as to mute your suspicions down, you tried not pondering about it too much.

Funny, how the real nature of the boy who you had known for a nonchalant sneer and teasing remarks, could suddenly become so interesting and mysterious.

It was on a Thursday late that you were strolling up to The Astronomy Tower to see the Thestrals soaring in the air. Normally, it was around the time when you would be putting yourself to the bed, but too many thoughts were buzzing in your mind, and you knew it wouldn't give you much space to sleep anyways. The only optimum, instead of staring aimlessly at the ceiling and flipping from one to the other side of the mattress, was busying yourself with something else. The lack of sleep was due to nothing else than today's lesson with Carrows. They had thought up an idea of having some practice with a Confrigo spell which, rather unfortunately, was presented on a living phantom. As always, a whole hour of torments was disastrous, to say at least, and even after classes, you couldn't shake off the echo of troubled screams and beggings, which carried over the petrified room of students. That's why you were thinking you could swallow your emotions down, quietly and undisturbedly, in the only place you could wish for some private space. Besides, it was the only spot resembling the old Hogwarts you had known from the previous years, showing the calming extent of green grounds.

However to your surprise, when you pushed the door to The Astronomy Tower, noiselessly, you could notice a silhouette of a man already standing at the barrier, which made you momentarily flabbergasted suddenly considering an option of running upon a teacher. To save yourself from much too unwanted detention, you decided to change your track, rushing straight into your dormitory. But almost as you succeeded doing so, in the last moment, a person shifted in their place and spoke up before you had room to move.

"Pretty late for a casual stroll, huh?" At once, a feeling of dread ebbed away, and you exhaled deeply air you didn't know you were holding as you recognized none other than Draco with his back turned towards you. His tone was as usually taunting, but something in a timbre of sadness was hitched to it as well. "Shouldn't be sneaking out of the room on the patroling hours, you know? I'm the least of who you could come upon today."

Your dignity told you to say something in order to defend your harmless saunter to calm down your nerves, which benefited only your mental account. However, he made a point -- you could have been caught not only by some random teacher but Currows themselves who, you were inexorably aware, wouldn't let a chance of dehumanizing others slip away. And besides, you were a little too dumbstruck to speak, realizing it must be the first time Draco fucking prince Malfoy had uttered more than a word to you. What was a coincidence of meeting up with him just on the same day as you had been wondering about your atypical relationship formed within this school year?

Before your contemplation ended, Draco's voice carried on with a conversation, echoing off the walls. "Care to join? Seeing as you're already here."

Frowning to yourself at how surreal the situation can become, you stepped off the stairs with no more hesitation. You truly wouldn't have suspected the things would turn out that way -- embracing his Head Boy position, you thought he would send you off back to the Hufflepuff Tower with his dismissive attitude as it usually was. Inviting you over to company him was a top cherry you hadn't even considered. Truthfully, it made you feel a little thrilled to accept this offer.

As you walked over to him, his facial features became much sharper than from afar. Now, as you looked at him closely, you could define the contours of his face were even more angelic yet still masculine than in daily light. The platonic hair glinted accordingly to the moon above; his blue eyes were focused on a black void in the sky, clearly pondering more than concentrating on a particular object; a mouth pursed into a line, not a mocking expression he was usually carrying himself with. Eyeing him like that and still not being capable of deciphering him suggested he must be someone between a completely unemotional git or an excellent master of Occulumency. You preferred to presume the second one.

Quickly, realizing you were staring, you turned your head to behold a collection of vivid stars hovering above your head. You knew it was only in the Wizarding World that sky flickered so brightly -- your father was a muggle, and a whole family dwelled among a non-magical society, which you didn't mind at all. And that's why you were able to recognize... differences existing between those two worlds.

"Why are you here?" you asked curiously, not quite capable of restraining yourself from doing so. You were standing close enough to him to smell his sandalwood cologne.

He gave you a perfunctory smile, and although it was a three-second gesture, it somehow made you lighter on the chest to know he was convenient with a conversation. "Needed someplace to think," he explained, not darting his eyes away from where he was looking. He took a pause there. "You?"

"The same reason," you answered simply, shrugging. "My roommates can be too loud sometimes, and I needed some silence to sort out...stuff."

Draco nodded in understanding, not interfering any further into the topic. Brushing your hair habitually with fingers, you scolded yourself for coming up here in the first place. How could you act so irresponsibly to think you could smoothly break a regulations' rule and without anyone finding out? Although you were desperate to hide it, the presence of Draco made you inexplicably nervous, and even though you tried to gulp it down, your stomach was churning when he was around. Time proved his intentions weren't bad after all, and you confronted with the truth ever since he first happened to find you at the moment of your meltdown in the corridor, clutching to him as if he was your sanity. But that didn't dispel your doubts about him becoming a fully active Death Eater, who praised with a Dark Mark on the left forearm like with a reward for some kind of acrobatic stunt.

Your gaze swept briefly over the rolled-up sleeves of his snow-white shirt only to assure yourself the mark didn't disappear off his arm with some help of the power of your imagination. Yet it was still there -- as always, tinted coal-black, scary and blood-curdling every time you looked at it.

That evidently didn't escape Draco's notice who, as though reading your mind, started. "You know, I didn't want this." He didn't have to show what he meant by saying so because you instantly figured it out. You looked up at him, and almost invisibly, his skin pale as it already was, changed even to the whiter shade. "He has bait on me. All of this: assassinating Dumbledore; obeying his will -- it's not because I want that."

The sudden shock welled up at these words, and you gawked at him stupidly, not quite able to process what he had just told you. Swallowing with some difficulty, you coerced yourself to a mutter. "Why... why are you telling me this?"

For the first time this night, his steely stare landed at you, scanning your face to detect signs of emotion. You attempted to conceal it, but he could see you were thunderstruck by his unexpected confession. Without preamble, he smiled slightly at you. "I thought you ought to know."

Ignoring the clenching in your chest, you did your best to not break eye contact with Draco when his eyes were intently locked on yours now. You could swear, something on the verge of interest and sympathy flickered in them for a second. "Why?"

"Because you're the only person who doesn't freak out when I'm around," he explained carefully. "Every time I go to the library or appear in any other public place, you're the only one who doesn't glare."

He closed his eyes, clearly relived with the fact he could confide the worries he had been carrying for a long time. Breathing out through the nose and his lips flinching a little, his head spun again to the blank of the sky.

It was a depressing sight to see him in such dejection, and the images of him being cast aside by his former group of friends with who he had been laughing merely a year ago rolled into your head, try as might to suppress it. You could only imagine what it must feel like to be rejected by everyone around; to play the main role in something you never wished to participate in.

For a moment, you thought he was going to continue because he grunted enigmatically, but the silence remained. Unable to restrain the urge to offer physical comfort, you affectionately grabbed his palm, squeezing it in the reassurance that you were there for him. He didn't attempt to break himself out of the grip, which presumably was a good indication.

"I believe you," you stated, for some reason, satisfied with the fact you're the one to comfort him. "You are a good person, Draco."

This time, it was he who clasped your hand, and he glimpsed at you once more, towering over you with his long legs. "No. In the past, things happened, and to say, I'm not proud of them. Jeering, mocking, insulting -- that wasn't fa-."

"Past is a past, Draco," you cut him off, knowing where it all was leading, and you wanted to bring it to an abrupt end. It was the least adequate moment for apologies. "You can't fix it. Good that you understand your mistakes by now."

He hummed in comprehension, smiling, and his grasp tightened around your palm as if you were about to run off from him, which he couldn't be more wrong about. Admitting to yourself, you loved his smile -- though it was seldom, it much differed from a smirk you were accustomed to at that point -- and you secretly hoped he could do it more often. You also loved that even if he didn't talk much, he was very successful in lifting you up.

Therefore, there you were: standing arm-to-arm with your ex-bully who you had happened to run across; observing the moon in its full exposure; holding hands in reassurance. Both of you clearly enjoyed this gratifying moment and were lingering towards it not to end.

"Thank you," Draco finally choked out. "Thank you for...everything."

Ultimately, smashing the wall of uncertainty down, he wrapped his arms around your neck, hunching a little to adjust to your height, and buried his face in the crook of your neck. At first, your body stiffened at the sudden touch and a skip of the boundary, but as not to agitate him, you adapted yourself soon enough by reciprocating the hug. You started to rub the slow, steady circles on his back, and little by little, he began stroking your hair, softly grazing your scalp.

How long you stood clinging to each other like this, you didn't know. Hearing Draco sigh quietly, feel the rise and fall of it against your hands. Your heart sunk when you heard him breathe out, and you prepared yourself for him to mix out of the embrace because of sudden consciousness he was cuddling with a half-blood Hufflepuff he had been mocking for half of a decade ('I should get going'; 'I didn't mean what I said earlier; 'leave me be, Y/S'). But none of this happened, and he was only murmuring into your ear.

"I presume I should escort you to the dormitory. I could tell you were the whole time with me so no one would get any suspicion if we run into...anyone," he offered, yet you felt him almost grimacing at the thought of ending a moment you were two having.

"Mhm..." you agreed with no more opposition. "But let's give it one more minute."

____________

A/N: This is so typical of me to do something other than what's necessary lmao ;) The second chapter of Summer Nights is almost up if anyone interested. As I think of it now, this one-shot gives me such a vibe of Loud Places/Turn. However, I hope you enjoyed it :) Oh, and I'm explaining the sudden change of schedule with posting: 1. I'm very irresposible; 2. I got the super inspo to scribble this one-shot. Hah, sorry...

#draco malfoy x reader #draco x reader #draco x oc #draco x you #draco malfoy #hp #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter #draco malfoy imagine #draco malfoy x you #hp fandom #hp fanfic #slytherin #hufflepuff #draco malfoy one shot #draco malfoy fanfiction #pottermore #harry potter imagine

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earnestly-endlessly · 5 years ago

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First, thank you SO MUCH for all the fic recs you’ve been blessing us with! I really appreciate all the time and effort you’ve put into making these. Second, could you recommend some historical AUs? Thank you and I hope you have a lovely day :D

Thank you so much for the kind words anon. It’s so good to hear that you guys like these recs. I really enjoy creating these lists and finding fics that are both well-loved but also those who are underrated in the fandom.

I have a LOT of historical AU fics so I hope there are some you haven’t read before. The fics are, more or less, in chronological order, so it starts with Ancient Rome, moves on to the Middle Ages, then to Regency era, etc. etc. This should make it a tad easier to find fics from different eras. Enjoy!

Cherik Historical AU Fic Recs

History Repeating – winterhill

Summary: From a kinkmeme prompt, this is a series of vignettes about Charles and Erik throughout the ages. Each chapter is written as a self-contained era.

Wanton in the Air – Rosie_Rues

Summary: In which Charles rescues a gladiator from the arena and soon becomes somewhat disconcerted by this handsome new slave and his sharksome grin.

Pantheon – Yahtzee

Summary: In the year 96 AD, all Rome is aware that their gods have begun to Mark certain people with their gifts – the healing power of Apollo, the metal control of Vulcan, the deathly touch of Pluto, or the mental powers of Minerva. When those gifts fall to slaves or barbarians instead of the Romans themselves, strict control is necessary.

Then a gladiator from Judea meets an enslaved scribe from Britannia, and the repercussions will shake the Empire itself.

Taken By His Majesty – Pookaseraph

Summary: Erik’s mission was simple, sneak into the Celtic pretender king’s tent, assassinate him, and return to Rome with his father’s honor restored. Unfortunately, he didn’t count on Charles. When the prince chooses to take him as his personal slave, Erik feared the worst, and his concerns weren’t entirely unwarranted. The worst, however, turns out to be falling in love with the greatest enemy of Rome’s primacy in Briton. A historical romance set during the early days of Rome’s occupation of Briton.

Terrible with the brightness of gold – brawlingdiscontent

Summary: The war is lost.

With the futures of his people and his children at stake, former Crown consort Charles of Normandy awaits the arrival of England’s new master, the fearsome Viking warrior, Erik Lehnsherr. (Inspired by 11th century historical events)

“For who could look upon the lions of the foe, terrible with the brightness of gold, who upon the men of metal, menacing with golden face, … who upon the bulls on the ships threatening death, their horns shining with gold, without feeling any fear for the king of such a force?” - Encomium Emmae Reginae

Burn Your Kingdom Down – spicedpiano

Summary: Erik’s people were brutally massacred when the Crusaders took Jerusalem. The sole survivor, Erik fled to northern Europe, only then to be captured as a thrall by Viking raiders. Since that day he has fought his way up to leading a group of Vikings on an invasion of the Christian mainland, killing every Crusader he can find. But when he captures a thrall of his own, a young witch who gives his name only as Charles, he discovers that there is a darker magic than his at work - and the fate of the known world may rest in his hands.

More Than All The World (The Werewolf’s Tale) – Luninosity

Summary: An Erik/Charles story very loosely based on Marie de France’s 12th-century French werewolf tale, in which Erik is the man transformed into a wolf (he’ll get changed back by the end, it’s not that kind of story, though they very definitely do fall in love) and Charles is a king and eventually there’s a happy ending. Also, a villain’s nose gets bitten off.

The Conspirator’s Gift – kaydeefalls

Summary: Medieval mystery AU. In the aftermath of a bloody siege during the 12th-century English Anarchy, the monk Henry and tradesman Erik discover evidence of murder: one corpse too many hidden among the fallen rebels. To see justice done, Erik must tread carefully through the conflicting and treacherous loyalties of civil war, as well as the potentially dangerous schemes of the enigmatic young Lord Xavier.

As Dark Longs For Day – Yahtzee

Summary: A daring young thief escapes from the wicked bishop’s dungeons, thinking herself free – until she encounters a rider with a black horse, a tame hawk and a dark secret. And who is this mysterious young man who only appears at night, accompanied by a protective wolf?

No Longer in Silence – Black_Betty

Summary: It has been eight years since Charles has seen Erik. Eight years since they parted under unkind circumstances and Erik went off to sea. The boy he once knew is Captain Lehnsherr now and they are as known to one another as strangers, and yet–Charles finds that eight years has done nothing to diminish the feelings he had when he was 16 and in love. It’s unfortunate then that Erik doesn’t feel the same way. (Persuasion AU)

Dance With Me – wallhaditcoming (uvcatastrophe)

Summary: After his most recent tour, Erik Lehnsherr has finally earned the rank of Captain and a commission on a vessel all his own. With the prize money he has collected and this new rank, he finally feels secure enough in his future to propose to the man he has loved for years. He just prays that Charles is willing to have him.

Connexions – keire_ke

Summary: When Mr Lehnsherr of Thornfield first began seeking a tutor suited to educate his young daughter, he could hardly have expected the young gentleman who turned up at his door, nor the connection they would forge.

The Master of Charlton Park – Gerec

Summary: On the brink of losing his ancestral home, omega Charles Xavier agreed to do the unthinkable; he would sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of his family, and bear a child for a married alpha and his mate.

But Charles never expected that alpha to be Erik Lehnsherr, with whom he shared an impossible love and undeniable passion.

Move Still – Black_Betty

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr hates dancing, but has a very specific reason for throwing a ball…

To Turn and Look When Thou Hearest the Sound of My Name – lachatblanche

Summary: North and South AU.

Erik, the master of the Genosha steel mill in the north, has lived a hard life, building his industry from scratch with the aid of his adopted sibling, Emma. When Charles Xavier, a young, southern gentleman, takes up residence near the mill, Erik finds himself drawn to him, despite Charles making it very clear that he cares neither for the north nor for Erik.

Based on Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel (takes place about midway through the story).

Frost fairs and fair frosts – diner_drama

Summary: The social circles of the upper end of London were in uproar - not only had the Thames frozen over, but the atypical weather had also prompted the mysterious and uncanny Dr. Xavier and his peculiar young charges to make the journey all the way from his mansion in Chester.

Erik Lehnsherr was not entirely certain that he could countenance meeting another of Mrs. Frost’s high society friends without suffering a violent fit of apoplexy, but perhaps the charming country doctor could break through his iron defences.

What We All Long For – Nos4a2no9

Summary: Charles Xavier was heir to a vast fortune before his stepfather stole his birthright, his dignity, and his freedom. Forced to serve as Kurt Marko’s informant and as a sexual plaything for the wealthy men of Europe’s upper crust, Charles yearns for nothing more than a quiet life free from shame and abuse.

The death of his stepfather seems to offer a way out, but Charles is once again forced to serve the Markos when his stepbrother offers him up as collateral in a game of chance. Suddenly Charles becomes the property of Erik Lehnsherr, a mysterious gambler with a thirst for revenge.

When love between the two men begins to blossom, Charles finally discovers what is at the heart of Erik’s tragic story, and why he is set upon a devastating course of revenge that will endanger Erik, Charles, and everything they have longed for.

Roses & Cinnamon – TurtleTotem

Summary: Charles Xavier lost more than his leg in the war with Napoleon, and the man he’s just pulled out of the water has ghosts of his own – especially when Charles’s involuntary projected hallucinations prove catching. Raven, meanwhile, faces the choice of whether to marry respectably or run away with a carnival fortune-teller.

Ironwood Hall – wheel_pen

Summary: Erik and Emma are Alpha siblings living in an ancient house in the Victorian era… a house that has strong opinions about who its family should marry, that has dispatched unsuitable spouses in the past. The latest candidate? A creative young Omega named Charles Xavier.

Somewhere between Rage and Serenity – Hyperballad

Summary: Charles Xavier is Erik Lehnsherr’s servant in this fic, set in the late Victorian period. Although Charles was quietly enamored with his employer, he had no intimation that the other was equally infatuated with him. Only with the coming of a dark force in their lives would these feelings be brought to light and it will test the strength of their will. Would the raging lust win over a tranquil heart?

In a Compromising Position – Fireflydown (Hyperballad)

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is Charles Xavier’s newly hired manservant in his Victorian Household. He may be cheeky at times and amiable towards his master but he holds a dangerous secret that would trigger the following events and it will change both their lives forever.

Better Outrun My Gun – Magnetism_bind

Summary: Erik is searching for the man who murdered his parents. Charles runs a saloon with his sisters.

Taming the Wild – Penguina

Summary: A Cherik Wild West AU: Mutants in the Wild West.

Charles Xavier finds himself crossing the entire ocean to America to find his sister Raven. However the task turns out to be more difficult than he expected because Raven is nowhere to be found.

In the meantime Charles settles in a small town where he starts a new life as a school teacher. There he meets Erik Lehnsherr - the town’s blacksmith. Although at first he believes Erik is the rudest person he’s ever met, the two start a friendship and Charles becomes a teacher to Erik’s kids.

However both Charles and Erik have their own little secrets that no one should ever uncover.

Would Charles find his beloved sister and is she still alright? Would Erik’s tragic past haunt him forever and prevent him from finding his happiness? Would Charles have the guts to admit that his feelings for his new friend are a bit past the line of friendship? This and more in Taming the Wild!

The Gunpowder Files – Tawabids

Summary: In a 19th century Britain, the wealthy Xavier-Marko couple pay Erik, a hired killer, to put their disabled son Charles “out of his misery”. Instead, Erik saves Charles from dealing with those kind of parents ever again. Charles follows Erik back to London and eventually convinces the assassin to take him under his wing and teach him the trade. When their lives cross paths with a destructive opium cartel led by the shadowy Sebastian Shaw, they decide to take down the businessman down no matter the cost.

Steel Roses – Mikanskey, ximeria

Summary: The year is 1864. While unrest brews in Europe, Charles Xavier is finally able to start his research after spending years trying to find funding. Riding the tailcoats of Charles Darwin, he sets out into the British countryside to find out how much truth there is in folklore, how much of it that can be explained by his own kind, gifted humans with special abilities.

Little does he expect to find new friends, new challenges, a budding attraction both emotionally and physically. Not to mention an enemy with far more nefarious and sinister plans than he could have ever imagined.

Erik Lehnsherr is set with a good business, a manor and grounds, staff and acquaintances he can lean on if needed. However, having tracked down and killed the man who killed his parents, he feels adrift, wondering if this is where he’s supposed to end his life; a respectable man with a respectable business.

Dragging a drowning Englishman out of the river starts him down an entirely unforeseen, but not necessarily, unwelcome path.

They were Paris… – Mikanskey

Summary: Paris, at the end of the 19th century.

This is where Erik decided for a while to lay down his meager luggage.

This is where he hoped to find calm and inspiration for his art.

But instead this is where he found love…

With pulses that beat double – aesc

Summary: It has been thirteen years since Charles watched his beloved childhood companion walk out of his life. Now, in fin-de-siècle Paris, a chance overheard remark may lead them to each other’s sides once more.

The Body in the Bedroom – telperion_15

Summary: Autumn, 1909 – Viscount Charles Xavier has invited friends and acquaintances to spend the weekend, hoping for good company and interesting conversation. But he doesn’t bank on murder being committed under his roof, nor his growing interest in the enigmatic Erik Lehnsherr…

In which there is a country house party (what else?), murder most foul (of course), and almost everyone’s a suspect (naturally).

Your soul is a chosen country – aesc

Summary: He sends letters, of course, because out in the sticks there’s not much to do except tend to Westchester’s endless affairs. And, of course, avoid tending to those affairs by going on walks, riding, and writing letters that make him hard and thrill secretly when he hands the properly-sealed, addressed envelope to the butler.

I was in London the other day, and in a bookseller’s along The Strand I found the most interesting and instructive volume. Or rather, it would have proved instructive if we had not already worked our way through much of the repertoire.

Blue Skies – baehj2915, marourin

Summary: At the tail end of the 1920s, the Twentieth Century is finally changing for the better. When Charles and Erik meet, it seems like an appropriate expression of the zeitgeist–a confluence of passion, romance, and change. But the good times never last. Erik and Charles have to discover if they can weather the gray days together, or at all.

A September as Sunny as Spring – Black_Betty, ikeracity, keire_ke

Summary: Charles Xavier was part of a famous vaudeville act before an accident cost him his career and his ability to walk. He’s pulled together a new life as a musician in Hollywood, but is finding it difficult to navigate his feelings for his old friend and partner, Erik Lehnsherr, the most sought after matinee idol of their generation.

Famous film duo Frost and Lehnsherr are two of the most well-known and admired mutants in the public eye, having built their fame and fortune on silent film blockbusters.When the rise of the new “talking pictures” phenomenon threatens all their careers, they must band together to try to prove that their days of stardom are far from over.

Lay with Me Amongst the Grapevines – kageillusionz

Summary: Young Master Charles’ friend from Oxford comes to stay with him at Westchester House during their break. Their relationship changes over the course of Mr. Lehnsherr’s stay, warmed by the summer sunshine and their mutual affection.

The Eldest of the Gods – lapetitesinge

Summary: It’s 1928, and sixteen-year-old Charles Xavier is intrigued by the new boy joining him at Eton College. He’s thrilled to realize that they may be alike in more ways than one, but there’s more standing between them than he can possibly guess.

Robbers – dsrobertson

Summary: 1933. Bank robber AU.

The Bureau of Investigation are after Public Enemy Number Two, bank robber Erik Lehnsherr. Charles Xavier is fiancé to Special Agent Moira MacTaggart. A closet homosexual, Charles visits the Manhattan pansy club scene and meets Max Eisenhardt. Only as time goes on, Max Eisenhardt turns out to be Erik Lehnsherr. Public Enemy Number Two.

Charles learns exactly what happens when you accidentally fall in love with a male bank robber in 1930s America.

Sign of the Times – dsrobertson

Summary: Casablanca-ish AU.

Charles Xavier meets Erik Lehnsherr in Paris, 1937. They spend the next two years with one another, stupid in-love, until war comes heavy in September 1939. Erik leaves for Poland and the Resistance movement there, promising to return. Charles is left in Paris, where Nazi jackboots march in, Summer of 1940. He becomes a member of the underground French Resistance, publishing illegal newsletters, leaflets, until news comes through in February 1942: Erik is dead. Charles throws himself into more dangerous work, meeting with Communists, helping derail a German train, and he does too much, goes too far. His friends find him safe passage out of France, out across the Mediterranean, to Morocco, Casablanca. It is here he finds Erik, alive.

Alone No more – MacandLacy

Summary: Erik and Charles each thought that they were alone. When they meet as children and discover otherwise, it changes their lives. Set before and during World War II.

The footsteps of uprooted lovers – ninemoons42

Summary: Against a turbulent backdrop of artistic, social, and political upheaval, the playwright Charles Xavier and the photographer Erik Lehnsherr find themselves meeting under less-than-polite circumstances, but part rather more amicably than they’d met.

When they find each other again in a Barcelona that is falling inexorably toward war, they find themselves taking up arms, each in his own way, and together they join a struggle for freedom, for love, and for their very lives.

Theme and Variations: War – ninemoons42

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a musical prodigy and a man destined for great things and great stages. But his life is shattered by a terrible accident that leaves him blind and trying to find his way back to his life, his music, and his place in the world.

Then he meets Charles Xavier, an agent of Section 8 of the Military Intelligence Directorate of Providence, and he finds himself listening in to clandestine radio transmissions and clicking Morse code, and these sounds are part and parcel of a war that can only take place in the shadows and the hidden places of history.

Hier steh ich an Marken meiner Tage – MonstrousRegiment

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a spy in the SS, and his British liaison is strategist Charles Xavier. Their relationship from the moment they meet to a year after the end of the war.

“You’re the only person in the world who knows what I am.”

A fish hook; an open eye – fabeld

Summary: Charles Xavier’s wealth protects him from mandatory service in the British Armed Forces, but he refuses to sit idly by when his telepathy can be used to assist the Allied Powers. As a British spy, Charles gains the Nazi Party’s trust and is sent to Paris to complete one last mission. His plan is disrupted when he runs into someone he never thought he would see again.

WWII AU with nods to Atonement.

A Light That Never Goes Out – R_Cookie

Summary: It was meant to be the war to end all wars; these two men were never supposed to meet. One a German Jew, the other a British surgeon. The odds that their paths should cross were next to none - but War defies the expected. It always has, and always will.

From the beaches of Dunkirk to the treacherous slopes of Monte Cassino - this is their story.

WWII AU.

Xmas in Connecticut – Yahtzee

Summary: In December 1944, the entire nation loves Rebecca Lawrence - “America’s Most Beloved Homemaker.” Her columns about leading the ideal life in the country help lift people’s spirits on the home front during World War II. But when her publisher asks her to host a war hero for Christmas dinner, the world is in danger of learning the truth … which is that “Rebecca Lawrence” is imaginary. Really, she’s a combination of Raven’s snappy writing and Charles’ knowhow in the kitchen.

However, this war hero, Erik Lehnsherr, is headed to Connecticut, so Raven and Charles have no choice but to find a way to make the imaginary real - at least,

Infamy – Yahtzee

Summary: In the aftermath of the Second World War, Erik Lehnsherr – survivor of Dachau, former resistance fighter in Occupied Europe – joins forces with US intelligence to hunt down escaped Nazis. A sensitive mission in Rio de Janeiro calls for Erik to recruit a new operative … one nobody is sure whether to trust. Charles Xavier is the stepson of convicted Nazi spy Kurt Marko, a rapidly worsening drunkard and a homosexual who hardly even bothers to hide his predilections. Hardly ideal.

But Charles is the only person with any chance of getting close to Sebastian Shaw. The one man who might allow them to complete the mission.

And although Erik’s business is keeping secrets, Charles brings something out in him that he’s worked desperately to hide –

What Dreams May Come – AnnaMcb24

Summary: Erik is a holocaust survivor who has recently lost his wife–the only person in his life who kept him sane. He continues to suffer in his dreams–facing the same agonies that plagued him in his early life–until one day he dreams of a young boy who endeavours to free Erik from his subconscious prison. However, the boy holds a great many secrets and, while he works to save Erik, Erik works to reveal his saviour’s identity.

Meanwhile, young Raven Xavier has lost her mother and is slowly uncovering the secrets of her family home–secrets that will lead her directly to one Erik Lehnsherr.

By Faint Indirections - kianspo

Summary: Erik is in his ~50s, and lonely and bitter. He survived the Holocaust and was only ~14 when the war ended; and even ~40 years later, living in a country that helped to end WW2 and the Third Reich, homosexuality is still a taboo topic. Then one day, he stumbles over Charles, who is young(early 20s) and bright and smart and cheeky and full of energy and beautiful. And moving in the same street where Erik lives.

#cherik #fic recs #cherik fic recs #asks #long post #historical au

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manga2day · 3 years ago

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Kisame Hoshigaki

Kisame Hoshigaki is certainly neither one of the main or great antagonists and even less of the favorite protagonists. But like many other Naruto characters, he remains an interesting, deep and above all cool character! Kisame Hoshigaki (干柿鬼鮫 in Japanese) was a ninja from the Hidden Mist Village (Kirigakure) from the Hoshigaki clan. He was a member of the famous 7 Sword Ninjas of the Mist before joining the Akatsuki group, thus becoming a deserter ninja. You will learn if you are not familiar with the Naruto manga or rediscover if you already are: - The story of Kisame Hoshigaki: it is long because Kisame is one of those rare antagonists to have survived several arcs from Naruto to Naruto Shippuden. 📚 - A description of the character: moral and physical. Kisame is far from being such a beauty but it is not for the aesthetics of his physical assets that he impresses. On the contrary ... 👁‍🗨 - Some important sequences of the manga and the anime where he comes into play. 🎥 Ready for this young shinobi adventure? Strap on your forehead band, get your ninja tools ready and go! And above all, beware of the shark ...

History of Kisame Hoshigaki

His debut at Kiri Kisame's story in the work begins while he is the disciple and under the command of Fuguki Suikazan. Konoha and Kiri (Kirigakure) are at war. He is tasked by his mentor to secretly watch over a division of ninjas in his village of which he himself is a part. During the battle Kisame's division found itself surrounded by a squad led by Ibiki Morino . She was completely wiped out ... by Kisame himself, to prevent his comrades from delivering information under Ibiki's interrogations. His disillusion Kisame further proved his patriotism by later eliminating his mentor, accused of himself disclosing information to Konoha. This act earned him the weapon of his master, Samehada, as well as his place among the 7 ninja swordsmen of the mist. ⚔ Nevertheless, and this despite Yagura , the fourth Mizukage congratulating his loyalty, something changed in Kisame after his master's act of betrayal. He realized that his life, the world, was full of falsehoods and lies. The promise of a world of truth Taking advantage of this period of disillusionment, Tobi introduced himself to him as Madara Uchiha. The mysterious masked man told Kisame of the Moon Eye Plan and his motives, thus seeking to rally him to his cause. Kisame also discovers that the Mizukage is being manipulated by him. 💥 At first doubtful, Kisame insists that Tobi take off his mask even after seeing his sharingan. But he finally lets himself be seduced by the promise of a “world of truth”. A world far from lies and uncertainties. From the 7 of the mist to the 10 of the Akatsuki

Among the swordsmen, Kisame acquired the sinister nickname "Monster of the Mist". He bonded with the Hōzuki brothers (Mangetsu and Suigetsu) and the rest of the swordsmen and instigated a failed coup attempt to take control of the Waterland. He also found himself involved in the assassination of a foreign Daimyo. He then becomes a fugitive, a deserter ninja (Nuke-nin) classified as S rank, in the bingo book . 📖 Kisame is then recruited by Pain into the ranks of the Akatsuki. An organization composed only of Nuke-nin like him and like Itachi Uchiwa. The one who massacred all his comrades in the war then teams up with the one who has almost entirely exterminated his entire clan. The two are initially suspicious of each other. Kisame warns Itachi the first time. But they end up forming one of Akatsuki's most effective and complementary duos. Kisame will blindly trust Itachi's judgment and even worry about his degrading health. 👨🏻‍⚕️ In search of the Bijus

Their objective within the organization will be to attempt to capture Kyubi, the nine-tailed fox demon from Naruto Uzumaki. But during their first foray into the village of Konoha They are spotted and repelled by a group of jōnin made up of Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai and Gai. Together with his partner, He would have managed to capture Naruto on a second attempt if the hermit Jiraiya had not intervened in time. Itachi is even forced to use amateratsu so that they can escape his technique. The tandem after retreating a second time no longer makes Kyubi a priority and turns to another Tailed Demon: Yonbi. Kisame confronts and defeats his jinchūriki, a shinobi named Rôshi. Loss of a faithful companion and reunion with another

At Itachi's request, Kisame will ensure that the fight between him and Sasuke is not interrupted. He will retain Sasuke's (Hebi) group and start a friendly fight with Suigetsu who covets Samehada. Later when Itachi is defeated by his brother, Kisame will then discover that Tobi is in fact the man who introduced himself to him as Madara Uchiha and who controlled the Mizukage (we recall here that the Mizukage (水影, Mizukage, Literally meaning: Shadow of Water) is the ruler of the hidden village of Kiri in the Land of Water.) Death a little fanatic

Kisame is later tasked with capturing the Eight-Tailed Demon (Hachibi) after Sasuke is defeated by Killer Bee. He uses Samehada to hunt down the demon's host. The two shinobi then engage in a single combat. Kisame then pretended to lose the fight by being betrayed by Samehada by and beheaded by a joint assault from Bee and the Raikage. He thus manages to infiltrate the village of Kumogakure to gather information and to follow Killer Bee to the turtle-island where he trains Naruto. 💨 Spotted by the latter, he then tries to escape but meets Gai Maïto whom he has to face. After a colorful fight between him and the master of taijutsu, he is defeated by one of his opponent's most powerful techniques: the “ Zenith Tiger ”. Kisame kills himself by being devoured by his summons, taking all these secrets with him.

Description of Kisame

Kisame was in many ways an unusual character. Whether it was through his appearance, his personality and his skills as a Shinobi. 💥 Physical appearance

Kisame stood out from all the other Akatsuki members first by his athletic body and especially by his size. Then he had quite atypical features which gave him in all respects the appearance of a shark : A pale green complexion (blue-gray in the animated); Small round white eyes with three small curved lines below; Bronchitis-like marks on the shoulders. He also had small triangular shaped teeth, a trait also shared by some members of the Mist Swordsman. His haircut resembled a shark's fin because of the oblique position of his frontal band on his head. At the time when he was a member of the 7 swordsmen, he wore the vest of the ninjas. He eventually traded it for the Akatsuki's long black tunic with red cloud patterns. His nails were painted a dark purple color and like all Akatsuki members he wore a ring on his left ring finger. A small motif in Japanese was inscribed on it on a yellow background. Samehada was carried slung across her back, in a sheath large enough to contain her. 🔪 Personality Kisame was a belligerent character. Without being just a bunch of muscles on legs. He demonstrated excellent faculties of analysis and perception in combat, showing himself capable of deducing the principle of a technique. Cold and ruthless he defined himself as a cannibal . He suggested that Itachi cut off Naruto's feet to prevent him from escaping. 🦶 One of his most salient character traits was an iron will, determination and resilience through which he carried out the tasks entrusted to him to the end. Whether it's preventing Konoha from getting hold of information by slaughtering all of his companions or taking on the task of capturing Hachibi alone. His devotion to Kiri and later the Akatsuki was unwavering. Unlike other members, He has always acted of his own free will to directly serve the interests of the organization. He thus worked for the advent of a world of truth possible by the resurrection of Juubi thanks to the Moon Eye Plan , the demon with 10 tails. 👺 Disillusioned kisame

Kisame had indeed never really felt out of place or himself. He was just executing orders without questioning them. Even when it came to acts as despicable as the slaughter of his own companions to protect sensitive information for the village. He believed that he was serving a good cause, that of his village. But Fuguki's betrayal from whom he was receiving his orders made him feel guilty, led him to conclude that his whole life the world was based on lies. Itachi noted that Kisame was struggling to find a place in this world probably because he had noticed the similarities between them. Kisame believed that their fate, because of their actions, was to die miserably. 💀 Character humor Kisame had a great sense of humor. He knew how to laugh at the most serious situations. He liked to taunt his opponents with a smile like he did with Guy and Killer Bee. He nicknamed Hidan and Kakuzu the “Zombie Brothers” because of their longevity. He was the only Akatsuki member who enjoyed Tobi's jokes and silliness, arguing that he helped set the mood. 🤣

Kisame skills

Kisame was a formidable shinobi. As you would expect for an Akatsuki member and Ex-Swordsman of the Mist. Strong enough to defeat Fuguki , his mentor and predecessor among the Kiri swordsmen and former owner of Samehada . His abilities extended to the point where he could defeat the hosts of Yonbi and (practically) Hachibi respectively. And to force Gai to open the 6th and 7th heavenly gates. 🚪 Tailed demon without tails Kisame had huge chakra reserves that surpassed those of other Akatsuki members and probably even Naruto's, already exceptional. Such quality earned him the nickname “Tailless Tailed Demon”. In addition to large personal chakra reserves, Kisame had the ability to absorb that of his opponents further increasing his own reserves as he did with Killer Bee. Versatility Kisame combined powerful, wide- ranging suiton- type techniques with melee techniques alternating blows and uses of Samehada. He had the advantage against great practitioners of taijutsu like Asuma Sarutobi and Killer Bee and was able to more or less compete with masters of the art like Gaï Maïto. A hard-skinned shark His extraordinary resistance allowed him to survive the powerful techniques of his opponents. He was able to continue the fight after being hit hard by the second version of Bee's lariat. He still had enough strength to break Yamato's restrictions and summon sharks after undergoing Gai Maïto's Day Tiger technique. 🦈 A master of water

Kisame had a strong affinity with the suiton chakra type. It also exhibited some uses of other affinities such as Doton . His mastery of Suiton was only surpassed by that of the second hokage. 🌊 He has a long repertoire of techniques of this affinity, including: - Doton --Déplacement souterrain tel le poisson dans l'eau (Doton --Déchū eigyo no Jutsu) : It is an underground movement technique that allows Kisame to approach his enemy at high speed and with stealth. When Kisame uses this technique while letting Samehada emerge from the ground, the attack resembles that of a shark. - Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone aqueux) : This technique was also used by Zabuza . Kisame used this jutsu quite common in the Land of Fog to form clones made of water. These replicas had a tenth of the user's chakra and could not move beyond a certain distance from the user. - Suiton --Bakusui Shôha (Vague explosive) : Kisame spurts out and sweeps over his opponents, a great wave on top of which he sits. The land is completely inundated by the attack. Kisame transformed a barren desert terrain into a lake while trying to delay the Gai team. - Suiton --Dai Bakusui Shôha (Grande vague explosive) : This ability is an improved version of Explosive Wave. - Suiton --Goshokuzame ( Mizuyo , Goshoku shark, Suiton --Cinq requins affamés) : The technique allowed Kisame to summon 5 sharks against a submerged target. They had the power to constantly regenerate, as long as they were in the water. Kisame used this technique against Gaï Maïto when he sank into the lake created by his explosive wave. - Suiton --Suikôdan no Jutsu (Requin élémentaire aqueux): By this technique a shark composed of water is thrown towards a target. - Suiton --Daikodan no jutsu (Grand requin élémentaire aqueux): He used the technique in an attempt to counter the diurnal tiger. But because this last technique did not contain a chakra. The Daikodan no jutsu consisted for Kisame in summoning a large watery shark capable like him of absorbing the chakra. - Suiton --Suirô no jutsu (Prison aqueuse): Kisame uses the technique to envelop his opponents in a water bubble. The liquid imbued with his chakra becomes denser than ordinary water. This restricts the movements of individuals caught up in the technique and exposes them to the risk of drowning. Kisame will lock up the three disciples of Gai in watery prisons formed by clones. - Suirô Sameodori no Jutsu (Dance du requin dans la prison aqueuse): This last technique was carried out by merging with Samehada after having created a gigantic water bubble from the “Dai Bakusui Shôha”. Kisame then became half-man, half-shark. He could move very quickly and breathe underwater. He was able to detect any source of chakra present in the bubble through his skin. Kisame could move around the bubble and with it. He could take advantage of this advantage by drowning his opponents.

Kisame Taijutsu

Kisame was strong enough in melee and melee weapon use to stand up to masters in the field like Asuma Sarutobi with his special brass knuckles and Gai Maïto and his nunchakus. He stood in front of Bee long enough as he had donned the version 2 chakra mantle. Although his rib cage was broken.

Kenjutsu de Kisame

Kisame was one of the 7 Sword Ninjas of the Mist. His mastery of the sword was therefore indisputable. In addition to his already great sword-wielding skills, he possesses an exceptional weapon: Samehada, which literally means “Sharkskin”. 🦈 Shark skin Samehada was a weapon endowed with conscience and will of its own. Covered with scales, it tears off the flesh instead of cutting it. The sword is also able to sense and absorb the chakra. This ability, however, seems to require contact between the weapon and the source of chakra. It is therefore not able to feed on the ambient chakra. 🌞 The more chakra it absorbs, the more the Samehada scales gain in proportion. The bands around it break off and reveal a mouth with several rows of shark teeth. She also made little noises of excitement when she enjoyed a particular chakra. Affinity between Kisame and Samehada Kisame had a great affinity with his weapon. He could temporarily merge with her to heal and replenish his chakra. By fully merging with the sword he improved his abilities taking on the appearance of a hybrid shark . Kisame could make himself undetectable by hiding inside Samehada because both have the same type of chakra. 🦈 Conscious and energy intensive, Samehada can only be handled by a shinobi whose chakra she appreciates. So no one other than Kisame could use it until Bee whose chakra was to Samehada's taste. But Kisame was still able to control Samehada as she came into Killer Bee's possession.

Story of Kisame in Naruto

Part I - Finding Tsunade Kisame and his buddy, Itachi set out on the trail of Naruto who left with the Sannin Jiraiya in search of Tsunade. They spot them in a hotel where they have stopped and after using a woman under the influence of Itachi to distract Jiraiya, They try to capture Naruto left alone. Sasuke then appears on the scene. But despite all his hatred and resentment, he gets beaten up and manhandled by his renegade brother. It takes Jiraiya's return for Itachi and Kisame to retreat as they come close to completing their mission. Before that, the duo had rubbed shoulders with Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenaï Yûhi, Kakashi Hatake and Gaï Maïto after having infiltrated the village. They dominated the fight against Asuma and Kurenai before Kakashi arrived and temporarily balanced the confrontation. But he finds himself in a bad position and owes his own salvation to the arrival of Gai. Kisame Read the full article

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amarguerite · 4 years ago

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Hi! I love love love your fics. I also don't know if this is impertinent or if you're taking prompts but have you ever considered how a thruple would work for an ever fixed mark? Either darcy/colonel Fitzwilliam/Lizzy or sksksksksksk Wellington/darcy/Lizzy which I can't even imagine!!

Thank you, that’s so sweet!

Actually this is a question I get a lot and I’m afraid I must always give the same disappointing answer! I honestly don’t think that any of those throuples would work, at least given the way that I have set up the characters. Their insecurities about relationships, sexuality, and soulmarks would all converge in a way that makes polyamory not a great solution to their problems.

Col Fitz has internalized some damaging messages about bisexuality that would make him ill-inclined to consider polyamory an option even if he was honestly interested in it, and a committed monogomous partnership with someone who accepts his sexual orientation is really all he wants, and is the kind of romantic relationship that’s best going to soothe his insecurities about being wrong just for who he is, and make him happy. There would have to be either some really big mental shift or... idk he’d have a pre-existing sexual or romantic relationship with Darcy and just be like, “yeah, obviously my wife should also engage in this normative thing I’ve been doing if she’d also enjoy it! Firzwilliam clearly refers to both of us.”

Darcy I read as pretty straight and slightly inclined to demi -sexuality if not significantly sexually inhibited by anxiety, so I’m not sure how he’d be into it, unless he and Col Fitz are both just dating Lizzy at the same time. And since Darcy is so fastidious and deeply paranoid about finding the exact right match his match having two matches would automatically exclude Lizzy unless, again, there was some major shift in his thinking that I can’t quite come up with right now, or there was a major shift in society. I also think given the nature of his responsibilities, and all he has to do as Master of Pemberley, Great Man etc any atypical or scandalous relationships would just send him into an anxiety free-fall from which he would find it tough to recover.

I think you could make a case for Lizzy being the most open to polyamory. She’s already inclined to struggle with the societal messaging of a One True Match and her morality is based very much on how people treat each other, not What Sociey Says, which would mean ethical nonmonogomy would probably be fine with her as long as everyone’s consenting and having a good time. But I don’t know how you’d get Darcy and Col Fitz on board. I could see Wellington getting on board? Though I think historically he said stuff about not being a cad enough to sleep with a friend’s wife, if the friend was there and taking part, he would probably be fine with it, especially if you tweaked his soulmark meaning so that he and Ned Packenham were romantically involved. But Darcy’s pretty perplexing, especially since I wrote it so that Wellington and Darcy don’t like each other. Wellington/ Col Fitz/ Lizzy would be more likely, though who the hell would bring it up and how stumps me entirely.

I’ve seen a couple of Lizzy/ Darcy/ Col Fitz fics on Ao3 that work quite well so it can be done! But I’m not sure how I could do it logistically speaking, in the Soulmark AU.

Anyone who would like to give it a shot is welcome to it— I think @kittyknowsthings wanted to do something a while ago, but I’m not sure if that’s still happening.

#an ever-fixed mark #an ever fixed mark #that looks on tempests #a dalliance with the duke

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bigprettygothgf · 5 years ago

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Why would u id as a commie when places North Korea exists lol. Are u that dumb or are u just being performative on tumblr to be relatable

Rabies is the fifth studio album by Skinny Puppy. It was released on November 21, 1989 through Nettwerk. The album notably features Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen (credited as Alien Jourgensen) who performed electric guitar and vocals on several songs. The album spawned two singles, "Tin Omen" and "Worlock", the latter of which becoming one of the band's most recognizable songs. The cover art was made by longtime Skinny Puppy collaborator Steven R. Gilmore. In 1993 the CD edition was reissued by Nettwerk to correct mastering errors in the original release.[1]

Rabies was a commercial success for the band, but received mixed reviews from critics upon release, several of whom drew parallels between the record and Ministry's style, both favorably and unfavorably. A joint tour with Ministry, KMFDM, and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, dubbed The Mutants of Rock Tour, was planned but ultimately cancelled when Skinny Puppy ended its commitment to the project.

Recording and production[edit]

Most of the band's previous albums had been mixed and produced by the group's "fourth member" Dave "Rave" Ogilvie. For Rabies, lead singer/songwriter Nivek Ogre brought in friend and Ministry frontman, Al Jourgensen. Ogre had met Jourgensen during the recording of the PTP song "Show Me Your Spine" in 1987. Ogre later toured with Ministry (Ogre can be seen and heard on the In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up video and CD) and would also go on to provide vocals for Jourgensen's side project Revolting Cocks.[2][3] The other two members of Skinny Puppy, cEvin Key (drummer) and Dwayne Goettel (keyboardist/synthesist), did not approve of Jourgensen's takeover, creating a "glacial coldness" between the band members.[4][5] A couple years following the release of Rabies, Key mentioned to Alternative Press that he believed Jourgensen's motive for assisting in the album's production was to try and break up Skinny Puppy.[5]

Much of the album had been written before Jourgensen was officially involved, though Key has mentioned that the process was influenced by the notion that Jourgensen might join them in the studio to "jam." The group took into consideration what type of music Jourgensen would be interested in making, thus writing guitar heavy material such as "Tin Omen,"[5] a song which makes reference to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.[6] "Fascist Jock Itch," also written with Jourgensen in mind,[5] was inspired by an incident between Ogre and a few skinheads. Ogre states that he had been approached by the skinheads who then proceeded to question him regarding his "loyalty towards communism" (prompted by a small Red star on his pants). Feeling threatened, Ogre pushed one of them away and a short scuffle ensued.[3] Other songs on the album, such as "Worlock" and "Choralone," have been described as being more "pure" to previous Skinny Puppy material.[5] The song "Hexonxonx," a song which criticizes the use of oil (written in the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989),[7] has been described as being an exemplary mixture of "twisted humor and Throbbing Gristle-like experimentation", while other entries from the album have been noted for their novel use of sampling.[8]

The song "Worlock" has been played on every tour after its conception. A Roland Harmonizer was used to create the vocoder-effect during the chorus. Samples of the song "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles are mixed with an excerpt of Charles Manson singing the song;[9] the excerpt comes from the 1973 documentary Manson.[10]

Release and promotion[edit]

The original CD release on Nettwerk (and the licensed version on Capitol) was mistakenly mastered with Dolby B noise reduction, which resulted in a muffled sound. In 1993, the album was digitally remastered and re-released on Nettwerk.[1]

Only one promotional video was produced for Rabies. The "Worlock" video was primarily a rhythmically edited string of horror movie clips featuring outtakes and clips from the band's earlier video, "Stairs and Flowers" (from the album Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse). The video, which opens with a "Rated X" graphic, was intended to be a critique of the concept of censorship in America.[3] Many of the movie clips featured in the video were from films made by controversial Italian filmmaker Dario Argento, whose work has a reputation for being heavily censored by US distributors in order to gain "R-Ratings" from the MPAA.[11] For the "Worlock" video Skinny Puppy included footage deleted from the US versions of such Argento films as Deep Red, Suspiria, Tenebrae, Phenomena, and Opera. Other films included in the music video include, The Beyond, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Bad Taste, Dead and Buried, Luther The Geek, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, From Beyond, Death Warmed Up, Eraserhead and Altered States.

Due to the graphic violence of the horror film clips used in the video, and also copyright violations, "Worlock" was subsequently banned by MTV, and did not receive any television airplay.[12] In 1992, Skinny Puppy released a compilation of their music videos, but "Worlock" was noticeably absent. According to Nettwerk, the video was omitted partially due to copyright problems and also because of concern the video would be banned by other countries which might find the video's content obscene.[citation needed] However, in recent years the video has been widely bootlegged among fans on the Internet. "Backing" videos for "Tin Omen" and "Choralone" were produced for the Too Dark Park tour in 1990, and have also been spread on the Internet.

A limited run of promotional mechanical pencils were made and sent to college (and possibly other) radio stations along with the album. Shaped like a syringe the pencils were white with black lettering "SKINNY [PUPPY]" and white on black lettering "RABIES". They were approximately 4 inches in length.

The Mutants of Rock Tour, which was to include a quadruple bill including Skinny Puppy, Ministry, KMFDM, and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, was to begin on December 27, 1989. However, according to Key, the tour was called off when Skinny Puppy collectively decided to pull out, citing concerns regarding the band's then uncertain situation. Key suggested a potential line of shows for the summer of 1990, but expressed little faith in any tour supporting Rabies ever happening.[13] Ogre ultimately joined Ministry's tour for The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste.[14]

Critical reception

Since the album's release, reception from both critics and fans has been mixed. Alternative Press said Rabies was more of a Skinny Puppy/Ministry hybrid and was not representative of the group's best work.[5]

Tim DiGravina from Allmusic stated that Rabies was a solid release, even though he felt the band was not performing "at their peak". He goes on to praise the album's implementation of movie dialogue, particularly commending its use in the songs "Worlock", "Tin Omen", and "Rivers". DiGravina was, however, less impressed by Jourgensen's contributions, asserting that the same qualities which made The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste a good album were not suitable for Rabies.[8] Trey Spencer from Sputnikmusic was less favorable, calling the record one of the group's "low points". He was critical of the album's use of simple (and sometimes "formless") song structures and claimed that the sampling brought nothing meaningful to the table. Spencer was more receptive to the song "Worlock", calling it the band's "defining moment", but concludes by saying that "the rest of the album consists of two good Industrial Metal songs, three average songs, and five songs that aren’t worth wasting your time on".[18]

Beth Fertig of The Boston Globe panned the album as "just another festering collection of noise", but pointed out the use of humor on songs such as "Fascist Jock Itch" as a positive element of the band's music.[15] Daniel Lukes of Kerrang! said that despite a "handful of undeniably classic tracks", the album comes across more as a collection of "Ministry B-sides" than a typical Skinny Puppy record.[16]

In a positive review from the Los Angeles Times, writers Jonathan Gold and David Kendrick list Rabies as an essential industrial album, calling it a "slightly atypical" offering that "also rocks a little harder".[17] This sentiment was echoed by CMJ's Brad Filicky, who called the album "a masterpiece of the industrial genre".[21] Jean Carey of the Tampa Bay Times praised the album, calling attention to the use of sampling, the song "Worlock", and Ogre's vocal work, which was compared to a "crazed Jimmy Durante". Carey concluded by saying that "Skinny Puppy's willingness to experiment and change makes [Rabies] well worth a listen".[19] Mark Jenkins of the Washington Post thought the album was less theatrical than their previous efforts, but concluded that the album's "groove is as solid as any the Puppy has ever fetched".[20]

Personnel[edit]

Nivek Ogre (vocals)

cEvin Key (production, engineering, mixing, various instruments)

Dwayne Goettel (production, engineering, mixing, various instruments)

Dave Ogilvie (production, engineering, mixing, backing vocals)

Al Jourgensen (production, engineering, mixing, guitar, additional vocals)

Greg Reely (additional engineering, special thanks)

Marc Ramaer (additional engineering, mixing)

Ken Marshall (additional engineering)

Cyan Meeks (vocals and lyrics on "Rain")

Keith Auerbach (mixing on "Fascist Jock Itch")

Jeff Newell (mixing on "Fascist Jock Itch")

#Anonymous

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kirliancamera1 · 4 years ago

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Rede Vamp Brazil (https://redevampirica.com) interviews Elena Alice Fossi of Kirlian Camera (English text attached hereunder) 🔥🔥🔥

Question 1: Be very welcome to AcessoRedeVamp, it's a true honor to realize this interview with you Elena Alice! You are a great singer and more every time we see you on stage your performance transmits great emotion and this electrifies all of us! You tell a real story with your performance and this is amazing and rare these days! At the same time, we perceive an expressive revolt against an old world and its stagnant postures. How have you handled 2020?

*** EAF – First of all, I wanna thank you for your words. Being able to communicate with the people who follow us is the most important thing to me. Singing becomes ephemeral if doesn't convey a message. Also for this reason I consider that the stage is the base of a musician, so you can imagine how I miss it. In this sense, it can be said that the category we belong to is very unlucky, not only because it's forced not to work, but rather 'cause concerts are pure lifeblood for a musician's soul. In any case, both Angelo and I can't stand self-pity people, so we immediately jumped into new musical projects, putting top concentration on composition. At any rate, we couldn't be simple observers of an event on this scale, so right from the beginning we tried to dig deep, looking for, and comparing news, data, statistics, whether they came from mainstream channels or from alternative sources. In Italy, for example, the economy has been torn to pieces and furthermore, the same politicians who mourn the dead on TV... cut so many funds for health facilities for a long time, so they may be considered taking part in such a mess. This situation has created a real drama, especially for families who have lost their loved ones without even having a chance to say goodbye one last time. But, it's also true that the worldwide exploitation of this pandemic has given us, we citizens, an opportunity to wake up. No need to use words such as anarchy or rebellion to understand that the old world is showing all kinds of holes. "Divide et impera" is the motto of several governments, so we citizens must not fall into the trap of making war on each other, each nonsense comes up! This is the time to show ourselves united. And, most of all, it’s time not to turn ourselves into servile dogs of a “Power” becoming more and more antidemocratic.

Question 2: Do you feel that the marks left by the year 2020 will bring some effective changes to this "abstraction" called humanity? Will there be a "new normal" or will we just return to an average 2019 when this whole pandemic passes?

*** EAF - If I’d been told about what we have experienced for almost one year, I’d have thought it was a joke, bullshit. But unluckily this is not the case. Such an event has brought much grief and is ruining the economic system of many nations, as already said. But in addition to the injury, here it comes the insult from the absurd and chaotic dictates imposed on us. I'll give you some examples of what's happening here in Italy. “Don't go out after 10 pm”. While people keep on getting sick or even dying, here comes the policeman with a ticket 'cause you left home for a goddam moment. I have this picture on my mind, of a person in pajamas, carrying the garbage bag full of stinking mussel shells at less than one hundred meters from home in a totally deserted night. At that point a flash on him. It’s the police who writes a ticket to that dangerous criminal. And then, for everyone's sake, the Christmas mass was moved from the usual midnight to 8 pm. How the hell can you think it's not a mockery? And... the last “gag”! Before Christmas, our Minister of technological innovation made an appeal to telephone companies so that video calls were free on Christmas days... But what year does she live in? But... is she not able to understand that in Italy almost everyone has either unlimited gigas or wifi? Nothing changes if the telephone companies for a couple of days give us video calls because we already use free services such as Whatsapp, Skype, Zoom, Telegram, and so on and so forth... Ok, in a vain attempt to avoid death, they are putting us in an induced coma! Seriously, all this offends our intelligence! And, when you realize you are inside a joke, you don't like to discover you're the main character, do you?! So, to answer your question, I couldn't foresee how a post-covid society will be reshaped, but the severe weakening that now is burdening us will have some major impact, no doubt. Currently, most folks are obsessed with fear, so are unable to reflect on the consequences of unconstitutional actions such as those foolishly propagated by many States. Furthermore, the pharma companies, the giants of the online shopping industry and many other powerful satanic puppet masters who are used to appear as philanthropists are ready to get their hands on everything, well pleased with the next “big reset”. So, after the pandemic, things will change a lot! For sure, from a human point of view, the feelings will be devitalized.

Question 3: Hologram Moon is a great name! Evokes conspirations like what really is the moon and this strangeness opens a vast creative field to find answers or even new questions... please tell us a bit more about this album, his name, songs...

*** EAF - "Fake is your face" is one of the phrases that most resonate in me when I sing "Holograms", or when in “Lost Islands” the old world said “Goodbye”! It's as if you had to face a new reset, as if you discovered everything you've always believed is swept away in an instant. There's the awareness that in the face of a new and suffocating truth, when the sky collapses, only true love can resist and guide you. In this sense, the final track of the album, “Travellers’ Testament” is a real stone on my heart, as it describes a fantastic journey to a planet. The astronaut is now impatient to fulfill his dream, but he will never arrive on that planet. The landing will take place on a space station. The moon landing's been questioned over and over again and certain evidence of the fact's inconsistency eventually seems credible. But we cannot say what reality is in any scientific way, especially when we're already prepared to believe a reassuring source. This is a simple starting point to embark on our history. More than finding answers, our sacred duty is to open the door to new questions, ask doubts, not take anything for granted. “Hologram Moon” is a purely poetic vision, but also a way to question everything. The mind can atrophy very easily. Habit, for example, can be complicit in this and the so-called comfort zone can be just complicit as well. The hypnosis that we suffer every day without realizing it, also grinding so many and bad TV shows, and so on... So, let's remain thinking and dreaming! This is a message from us.

Question 4: How was the experience of working with Covenant's Eskil Simonsson on the beautiful "Sky Collapse"?

*** EAF - We had come across Covenant several times before doing this collaboration; on festival occasions, in the dressing rooms... But it was a chaotic situation, so... we gave each other a fleeting smile, a kind greeting, but nothing more. Then, when Angelo and I wrote “Sky Collapse”, we immediately thought that a deep and sincere voice like Eskil's would add something precious to the song. Even before recording the two-voice song, we met at a charity festival. We had called him as a guest just to sing this song together, which was yet unreleased. He made himself available immediately. It was a nice gift for us and when the moment came, I think that on stage you could feel my strong emotion all the way down the hall!

Question 5: Well, I think now we will have our fan moment! Let's talk about some Kirlian Camera songs that our DJs and the audience of the REDE VAMP love it? Do I speak the name and may you tell a little about the meanings, influences, or a curious story?

*** EAF ***

>>> NIGHTGLORY. It refers to the triumph of the night, perhaps as a momentary spiritual retreat. I'm talking about that precious moment that regenerates your very existence into yourself. The music of this song was born in a symphonic form, very different from how Nightglory was then arranged. This is a song and an album that has been appreciated by many people only after some time, partly because of a promotion that described the album as the most commercial in our history, which is absolutely harmful and misleading. Invisible Front and Eclipse were even more listenable, for example... Sometimes words spoil your work. It would be better to listen to music only, ignoring its promotional presentation. Fortunately, Nightglory has recovered over time till becoming one of the most requested live songs of ours.

>>> BLACK AUGUST. In this song there are various hints coming out from a dark moment in my life, I mean a period that risked devouring me. Wounds that take time to heal. Sky Collapse can be considered the final act of that period, even if the music of the two songs sounds very different, as you know. Black August blends various stylistic dimensions in a single “body of music”, so many didn't know how to label it at the time, as it effectively goes running free, out of the box. A very atypical song that has gained some actual success despite its distinction, which has also brought us closer to fans of dark metal and so-called electronica.

>>> HELLFIRE. I chose this piece to add an echo to the dark period I was talking about above, in order to exorcise all that negativity, so we went to deal with a theme showing gospel traits but containing some demonic references in the lyrics. Then I didn't know THE 8th PRESIDENT was waiting for us at the SCARLET GATE OF TOXIC DAYBREAK, with his COLD PILLS! A wordplay whoever is following us will understand!

>>> K-PAX. I wrote this piece in a night when everything seemed dreamy and I almost didn't realize where I was anymore. No, I wasn't under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but all my memories were mixing in tremendous chaos that needed to reinvent itself and turn into an immaterial fog, in a light but lost dream. Angelo literally translated the music and melodies I had written on the staff, giving both them and my voice the perfect terms to guide the journey. In fact, it's not a complete and static text, but a sequence of dreamy and painful phrases at the same time. I felt that Angelo listened to me attentively since he knew how to translate my notes so perfectly into written sentences as if he were sending me back into my music. It was magical and at K-Pax Angelo and I discovered the other life of ourselves, bringing to light so many breathtaking emotions and it was just the departure, after the suffocating mists of Still Air, an album we love, and the crepuscular decadence of Stalingrad Valkyrie.

Question 6: There is a cover of Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd from Kirlian Camera that is a true work of art. The Mad World cover performed by Spectra Paris is fascinating. Are there more covers from other bands that you would like to record?

*** EAF - Well yes, there are ideas, but we prefer to evaluate which are the best. Meanwhile, I tried to produce a version of a Johnny Cash song and I made Angelo interpret it: I really like the result. It may be used by Stalingrad Valkyrie.

Question 7: I love your lyrics! What can't Elena be missing when creating new lyrics or musical arrangements? Are there any poetry, films, books, comic books, or other influences?

*** EAF - Mostly everything happens unconsciously. You don't know how many times I realize why I wrote a certain phrase only after a song was released! But I can say that my imagination works mostly by processing images. So, the movies are very helpful in this. Similarly, Angelo and I tap into imagery that could be part of the quantum physics new era, where multiverse and multidimensionality are both playing an important role. This world appears like a really tiny thing when compared to everything else.

Question 8: Elena, I read in an older interview about a "Young Ladies Homicide Club" I found an undeniable reference to the films Noir and the figure of the characters called "Vamp" and all the charm and spectral magnetism ... but I was a little curious. .. what is this "Young Ladies Homicide Club"?

*** EAF - Let's say I imagined an unreal club created by apparently dead or so to say "disappeared" models in order to get rid of fashion people who were acting a bit too naughty! The work to clean up that world wouldn't be lacking, as, after all, it happens in all professional areas. As for myself goes, I gladly opted in a flash and without second thoughts for singing and making music, leaving everything behind, buying a couple of synths and a decent microphone, which I then enriched with various electronic devilry, kicking away possible easy money, foolish nights, cocaine, heroin, stereotyped relationships, and absurdly worshipped wines! Every so often I like to play with the ridiculous and grotesque ghosts of some fashion designers, photographers, and evil spirits, then going to recreate noir stories in which everything happens. I also drew some digital comics with a noir-glam flavor, a few years ago... It was a fun pastime, while with Kirlian Camera I'd been exploring deeper and more fundamental universes.

Question 9: Is there more news on the way for the incredible Spectra Paris and also for Stalingrad Valkyrie? May you talk a bit more about them?

*** EAF - Stalingrad Valkyrie is a project I am very fond of, in a special way. So I insisted on getting it back to life after a period of hibernation which lasted too much in my opinion. "Martyrium Europae", the most recent album, proved me right, even if it’s not a commercial project. Well, it seems our listeners have appreciated the attempt to combine different musical sources in a unique style, certainly linked to the more symphonic and dramatic Kirlian Camera pages, but also quite free to express itself on his own, trying to avoid the most standard patterns of neofolk, progressive and industrial, without on the other hand completely ignoring their now distant origins. So, in its small way, the new album turned out to be a success and I'd really like this project to keep on living with further fresh ideas. We're currently working on a new chapter that will be released on vinyl and some digitals, which contains previously unreleased songs and versions.

Question 10: Elena, our Rede Vamp is a platform about Cultural Vamp and Vampires production ... and there is a question that our interviewees never escape. Is there a character or perhaps a vampire story that you never forgot?

*** EAF - Needless to say the vampire who most impressed me over time can't be anyone other than... Angelo Bergamini!!! Not many know that Angelo was the leading actor in a short film entitled "Himre Bakai", shot in the late nineties or so, directed by Antonio Bocchi, the later owner of the dark-electronic project Lux Anodyca and author of detective books. I don't think the film is regularly available or downloadable at the moment, but I know it was also screened at the time in various festivals and reviews, also getting some good feedback! Angelo (Himre) and Antonio told me that one day the film "will see the light ”, but at the moment... he lies in the dark, by the book, of course!!!

Question 11: Elena, thank you so much for your time and generosity! You and Kirlian Camera have many fans on our events and radio shows, please leave a special message for our audience! Are there plans for a new gig in Brazil after all this pandemic?

*** EAF - While it's true that we've never been able to play in Brazil so far, I'm sure your Land is actually right for us, 'cause I can feel that's full of feeling and passion, so we'd love to perform for you very much, 'cause in spite of the fact it's so far away, I feel a deep affinity and a certain familiarity with your world. And while we wait, confident that sooner or later we'll succeed in our aim, I wanna greet all those who had the kindness to listen to me, with a quote from the American scientist and politician Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

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dweemeister · 4 years ago

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Movie Odyssey Retrospective

Fantasia (1940)

With production on Bambi postponed, Walt Disney dedicated himself to Pinocchio (1940) and a film featuring animated segments accompanying classical music. Walt’s demands for innovation saw Pinocchio’s budget skyrocket, and the film left Walt Disney Productions (today called Walt Disney Animation Studios) on unstable financial grounds. This laid impossible financial expectations for the latter film – tentatively entitled The Concert Feature – to meet. War halted the possibility of cross-Atlantic distribution as Walt continued to emphasize innovation for each of his features and workplace tensions rose among his animators. What was planned as a glorified Mickey Mouse short set to Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Mickey’s popularity was flagging by the mid-1930s, trailing other Disney counterparts and Fleischer Studios/Paramount’s Popeye the Sailor – grew to include seven other segments. The film that became known as Fantasia remains the studio’s most audacious work. Though it built off the visual precedents of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), the volume of artistry for artistry’s sake contained in Fantasia, eighty years later, remains unsurpassed.

After the Philadelphia Orchestra’s conductor/music director Leopold Stokowski offered to record The Sorcerer’s Apprentice for free (he did so with a collection of Hollywood musicians; the English-Polish conductor, a rare conductor who spurned the baton, was among the best of his day), cost overruns on The Sorcerer’s Apprentice led to its expansion as a feature. To provide commentary as Fantasia’s Master of Ceremonies, the studio sought composer and music critic Deems Taylor – who came to Disney and Stokowski’s attention in his role as intermission commentator for radio broadcasts of New York Philharmonic concerts. But both Disney and Stokowski were too busy during the summer of 1938 to brief Taylor on their plans. Stokowski spent that summer in Europe seeking permission for the rights to use certain pieces from various composers’ families (this included visits to Claude Debussy’s widow and Maurice Ravel’s brother); Disney was occupied with the construction of the Burbank studio. After Stokowski returned from Europe in September, Disney asked Taylor to come to Los Angeles to formally discuss Fantasia. Taylor agreed, arriving one day after Stokowski and Disney began their meetings, staying in Southern California for a month.

Over several weeks that September, Disney, Stokowski, and Taylor made the final selections for pieces – suggested by story directors Joe Grant and Dick Huemer (both worked on 1941’s Dumbo and 1951’s Alice in Wonderland) – to be featured in Fantasia. Hours were spent listening to classical music recordings, followed by brainstorming potential visualizations. The meetings were recorded by stenographers, with transcripts (housed at the Walt Disney Archives in Burbank) provided to all three participants. During these meetings, Walt mostly listened to Stokowski and Taylor consider every suggestion by Grant and Huemer:

DISNEY: Look, I really don’t know beans about music. TAYLOR: That’s all right, Walt. When I first started, I thought Bach wrote love stuff – like Romeo and Juliet. You know, I thought maybe Toccata was in love with Fugue.

During these meetings, an admiring Walt – in addition to gifting a potential last hurrah for Mickey Mouse and to create a film unrestrained by commercial demands – realized he wanted to create a gateway to classical music for those who might not otherwise give such music a chance. Always leading his writing staff in developing stories, Walt felt relieved that he could share this responsibility with Stokowski and Taylor. Free of the storytelling stresses plaguing the Pinocchio and Bambi productions at the time, these tripartite meetings were not beholden to narrative cohesion, allowing the participants to suggest anything that their imaginations conjured. Without the constraints of narrative logic or predictions about what an audience wanted to see, Fantasia became the center of Walt Disney’s passion until its completion.

Nine selections were made by the trio, with one piece later being dropped entirely (Gabriel Pierné’s Cydalise and the Satyr) and another being replaced after its completion. A completed segment for Debussy’s Clair de Lune* was substituted out for Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 (the mythological scenario Walt envisioned for the Pierné reverted to the Beethoven, but more on this later). Over the next few years, Disney’s animators would complete the artwork; Stokowski would study, arrange, and record the selections with the Philadelphia Orchestra (except for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which had already been recorded); Taylor would write his introductions to be filmed at the Disney studios.

In almost all of cinema, music accompanies and strengthens dramatic or comedic visuals. Fantasia is the reverse of this relationship. The animation provides greater emotional power to the music – an arrangement that may be startling to viewers unfamiliar with or disinclined to classical music or cinematic abstraction. Fantasia’s opening scenes and piece introductions feature the affable Taylor, who outlines the film’s conceits:

TAYLOR: Now there are three kinds of music on this Fantasia program. First, there’s the kind that tells a definite story. Then there’s the kind that, while it has no specific plot, does paint a series of more or less definite pictures. And then there’s a third kind, music that exists simply for its own sake.

That last kind, also known as “absolute music”, opens Fantasia with Johann Sebastian Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, an organ piece arranged for orchestra (“Toccata” and “Fugue” refer to the musical forms of the piece’s two halves). As James Wong Howe’s (1934’s The Thin Man, 1963’s Hud) gorgeous live-action cinematography of the orchestra (the Toccata) transitions to animation (the Fugue), the audience witnesses Walt Disney Animation’s first, and arguably only, foray into abstract animation – as opposed to abstract stylizations to bolster a macro-narrative – for a feature film. The Toccata and Fugue is a pure visualization of listening to music, as if the animation was improvised. The sequence involves, among other things, string instrument bridges and bows flying in indeterminate space, figures and lines rolling across the screen, and beams of light and obscured shapes timed to Bach’s piece. In these opening minutes, Fantasia announces itself as a bold hybrid of artistic expression in atypical fashion for Disney’s animators.

Next is The Nutcracker Suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, which is subdivided into six dances (“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”, “Chinese Dance”, “Arabian Dance”, “Trepak”, “Dance of the Reed Flutes”, “Waltz of the Flowers” – these dances are placed out of order, and the “Miniature Overture” and “Marche” which open the suite are not present). Disney, Stokowski, and Taylor made this selection decades before Tchaikovsky’s now-most famous ballet became a Christmas cliché in the United States – it was barely performed in the early twentieth century and is usually regarded, among classical music experts and by the composer himself, as a lesser Tchaikovsky ballet.

History aside, this animated treatment of The Nutcracker utilizes an astonishing array of different animation techniques across all six dances. With The Nutcracker, the Disney animators, for the first time, take a piece with a preexisting story, animate sequences adhering to the music’s essence, yet producing images that have nothing to do with the original material. In Fantasia, The Nutcracker remains a ballet – the sugar plum fairies, racially insensitive mushrooms, fish, and flowers move as if they are on a ballet stage. But there is nothing, in the sense of a narrative through line, to connect all six dances. Set to the changing of the seasons, The Nutcracker contains gorgeously-animated fairies and intricate fish (Cleo from Pinocchio was a testing run for the “Arabian Dance”), climaxing with fractal flurries that look like an antique Christmas card brought to life. Even the racist “Chinese Dance” exemplifies masterful character design – simplicity does not preclude expressiveness. The Nutcracker’s spectacular inclusion improved Tchaikovsky’s standing and his least acclaimed ballet among casual classical music fans.

Based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s poem of the same, Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice ushers in the Mickey Mouse short that overshadows all others. With the animators’ adaptation closely following Goethe’s poem, Dukas’ original piece is impossible to listen to without imagining Mickey, rogue anthropomorphic broomsticks, and thousands of gallons of water. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice marked the cinematic debut of Mickey Mouse with pupils, as designed by Fred Moore (the dwarfs on Snow White, the mermaids in 1953’s Peter Pan) – Mickey was first drawn with pupils on a program to an infamous, booze-filled party Walt Disney threw in 1938. With pupils, Mickey’s gaze provides a sense of direction that black ovals make ambiguous. The additional personality – not to say Mickey Mouse’s original character design lacked personality – thanks to the pupils strengthens Mickey’s expressions of jollity, shock, submissiveness. A lanky, stern sorcerer is Mickey’s brilliant foil. Their physical differences and reactions imbue The Sorcerer’s Apprentice with a troublemaking charm recalling Mickey’s earliest short films, sans the slapstick that defined those appearances. These decisions heralded a new era for how the Walt Disney Studios’ mascot would be animated and portrayed in his upcoming shorts.

This segment’s chiaroscuro sets a pensive atmosphere, enclosing Mickey in a black and brown gloom as he – a nominal apprentice – is tasked with menial duties, not magic. The indefinite shape of the sorcerer’s chambers owes to German Expressionism (as does the penultimate piece in Fantasia), with its impossibly curved angles and architectural fantasy hiding secrets that no sorcerer’s apprentice assigned to carry buckets of water could understand. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice tonal shifts always feel justified, rooted in the sequence’s character and production design – although, in this regard, the sequence is surpassed later in Fantasia.

Immediately following a mutual congratulations between Mickey (voiced by Disney) and Stokowski is Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. Stravinsky’s brief one-act ballet/piece debuted in 1913 to an audience riot because of its musical radicalism – The Rite of Spring liberally partakes in polytonality (using two or more key signatures simultaneously), polyrhythms, constant meter changes, unorthodox accenting of offbeats, chromaticism, and piercing dissonance. Concert hall attendees had heard nothing like The Rite of Spring before and, even in 1940, Stravinsky’s composition divided audiences. The Rite of Spring – precipitating the concert hall’s philosophical battles of the late twentieth and twenty-first century over whether melody and coherent rhythm still has a role to play in contemporary classical music – is a gutsy choice to present to general audiences.

At fifty-eight years old when Fantasia was released, the Russian-born, French-naturalized (and soon-to-be American citizen) Stravinsky is the only composer to have lived to see one of his pieces adapted for a Fantasia movie. Stravinsky despised Stokowski’s interpretation and cutting of his music (all musical cuts were Stokowski’s decisions, reasoning that an audience of classical music neophytes might not be comfortable in a theater for too long during Fantasia), but applauded the animated interpretation of his work. As a ballet, The Rite of Spring is about primitivism. The Disney animators sheared the piece of its human element to liberate themselves from the ballet’s narrative (and believers of creationism). Instead of portraying primitive humans, they elected to depict an account of Earth’s early natural history – its primeval violence, the beginning of life, the reign and extinction of the dinosaurs. Astronomer Edwin Hubble, English biologist Julian Huxley, and paleontologist Barnum Brown served as scientific consultants on The Rite of Spring, imparting to the animators the most widely-accepted theories within their respective scientific fields at the time.

As the camera moves towards the young Earth, Stravinsky’s piece clangs with orchestral hits emboldened by the volcanic violence on-screen – the animated flow of the lava and realistic bubble effects (studied by the animators using high-speed photography on oatmeal, mud, and coffee bubbles inflated by air hoses) are technical masterstrokes. Giving way to single-celled organisms and later the dinosaurs, the camera’s perspective keeps low, emphasizing the height of these prehistoric creatures. The suggestion of weight to the dinosaurs distinguish them from comic, cartoonish depictions in American animation up to that point. The Rite of Spring is the only Fantasia segment where I can imagine viewers unversed in classical music, but making an honest attempt to appreciate the music, being repelled for the entire passage because of the music itself. Otherwise, so ends Fantasia’s immaculate first half.

After the intermission, we meet the Soundtrack, a visual representation of the standard optical soundtrack, with Deems Taylor. It is an entertaining diversion before Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 (“The Pastoral Symphony”) – accompanied by scenes of winged horses, centaurs, pans, and gods from classical mythology. These characters and backgrounds, and clear story were intended for Pierné’s Cydalise and the Satyr before its deletion from the program. Seeking a replacement piece, Disney chose Beethoven’s Pastoral over Stokowski’s objections. Stokowski, who largely dismissed potential criticisms from diehard classical music fans and encouraged Walt’s experimentation in their meetings, noted that Symphony No. 6 – the unidentical twin of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5; both were composed simultaneously and debuted to the public on the same evening in 1808 – was Beethoven’s tribute to the Viennese countryside and that, according to Beethoven’s program notes from that 1808 concert, represented, “more an expression of feeling than painting.” Beethoven’s long summer walks amid babbling brooks, verdant forests, and wildlife provided solace from his increasing deafness. Deems Taylor, acknowledging Stokowski’s citations of the symphony’s history, thought the decision a brilliant one. By simple majority, Walt’s repurposed idea for the mythological setting for the Pastoral was produced.

For the entirety of the Pastoral’s second movement, we see cupids assisting in centaur courtship. These hackneyed scenes are glacially paced, overly dependent on Fred Moore’s risqué good girl art. Fantasia’s most objectionable content also appears in the second movement in the form of crude racial caricatures of black women – though the worst example will almost certainly not be in any available modern print of Fantasia, as the Walt Disney Company has consistently cut the footage and essentially denies it ever existed. The story’s tone almost trivializes Beethoven’s Pastoral, making the seond movement a tiresome Silly Symphony. Arguably the weakest of the original Fantasia numbers (Stokowski’s criticisms justified by the final product), the Pastoral nevertheless contains an eye-catching palate of color that makes it unmissable. Encouraged by the supervising animators on the Pastoral to use as much color as possible, the throngs of artists assigned to this were up to the task. Rarely does Technicolor, in full saturation, look brighter than when the young flying horses take to the sky, centaurs and centaurettes partake in mating rituals, and an ever-inebriated Bacchus stumbles into the centaurs’ party.

From the closing ballet of Act III of Amilcare Ponichelli’s opera La Gioconda, the Dance of the Hours is the penultimate piece in Fantasia. Dance of the Hours suffers from its placement in the film. After Bacchus’ simpleminded, jolly antics in the Pastoral, this whole segment is the one that most resembles Disney’s Silly Symphony short films. Presented as a comic ballet with ostriches, elephants, hippopotamuses, and alligators, the Dance of the Hours has the ideal supervising animators assigned to it – caricaturist “T.” (Thornton) Hee and Pluto/Big Bad Wolf animator Norm Ferguson. Dancer Marge Champion (the model for Snow White’s dancing), ballerina Tatiana Riabouchinska and her husband David Lichine served as models for the balletic motions, endowing the segment with choreographic – though perhaps not biological – accuracy. As long as the viewer basks in the Dance of the Hours’ unadulterated silliness and does not mind the fact it is the least innovative piece in terms of its animation, it is an enjoyable several minutes of Fantasia.

Fantasia concludes with a staggering pairing: Modest Mussorgsky’s‡ tone poem Night on Bald Mountain (partial cuts) and Franz Schubert’s Ave Maria (with English lyrics). After an inconsistent second half to Fantasia, the film ends with two selections so remarkably contrasting in musical form and texture and animation. Night on Bald Mountain, like Dance of the Hours, is the responsibility of an ideal supervising animator in Wilfred Jackson (1937’s The Old Mill, Alice in Wonderland) and one of the finest character animators in Bill Tytla (Stromboli in Pinocchio, Dumbo in Dumbo). Using Mussorgsky’s written descriptions for the piece, the animators closely adhere to the composer’s imagined narrative. On Walpurgisnacht, a towering demon atop a mountain unfurls his wings and summons an infernal procession from the earthly and watery graves below. This demon, the Slavic deity Chernabog, is Tytla’s greatest triumph as a character animator and for all animated cinema. With movements modeled by Béla Lugosi of Dracula (1931) fame – one could not ask for a better model – and Jackson himself, Tytla captures Chernabog’s enormity, the torso’s muscular details, and graceful arm and hand movements that never falter frame-by-frame. Chernabog moves more realistically than any Disney character – in shorts and features, Rotoscoped or not – and would retain that distinction until the advent of computerized animation. In Tytla’s mastery, one forgets that Chernabog is nothing but dark paints.

Jackson’s use of contrasting styles to demarcate Chernabog from the ghosts and spirits summoned to the mountain’s summit further contributes to Night on Bald Mountain’s satanic atmosphere. The shades answering Chernabog’s call appear as either rough white pencil sketches that one might expect in a concept drawing or translucent, wavy figures animated with rippling effects that required a curved tin to complete. That rippling, wafting effect – lasting only several seconds in Night on Bald Mountain – was among the most labor-intensive parts of Fantasia, requiring animators to be present at work in multiple shifts across twenty-four hours to photograph the movements for each frame. The Walt Disney Animation Studios would not delve into such darkness again until The Black Cauldron (1985).

Night on Bald Mountain benefits from being followed immediately – without a Deems Taylor introduction (he introduces both pieces prior to the Mussorgsky) – by Schubert’s Ave Maria, and vice versa. As Chernabog and the spirits romp, an Angelus bell tolls just before the dawn, signalling the end of their nocturnal merriment. Stokowski arranged Night on Bald Mountain’s final bars to fade away as a vocalizing chorus precedes the beginning of the Ave Maria. Where Night on Bald Mountain incorporated numerous styles in a disorderly frolic, the Ave Maria is rigid and structured by design (the camera only moves horizontally from left to right or zooms forward). In twos, robed monks walk through a forest bearing torches – their figures obscured behind trees, their reflections gleaming in the water. As the camera zooms forward for the first time, darkness envelops the screen. Using English lyrics by Rachel Field that do not adapt Schubert’s German lyrics, soprano Julietta Novis sings the final stanza of the Ave Maria (Field’s first two stanzas were unused) as the multiplane camera gradually glides through a still bower. The Ave Maria features some of the smallest individually-animated pieces (the monks) ever brought to screen. And with the multiplane camera (when the monks are onscreen, the multiplane camera – which was created to provide depth to animated backgrounds – is utilized, for the first time in its existence, to evoke flatness), it also contains what may be the longest uncut sequence in animation history.

The Ave Maria’s beauty sharpens the contrast between itself and Night on Bald Mountain – the sacred and the profane. Their spiritual and musical pairing is cinematic transcendence. Yet, the Ave Maria was almost cut entirely from the film at the last moment, as it was spliced into the final cut four hours before Fantasia’s world premiere – all thanks to an earthquake that struck Southern California a few days earlier. How fortunate for those worked on the segment, the preceding Night on Bald Mountain, for Fantasia, and cinema that the Ave Maria was included in the end.

Some of the pieces considered by Disney, Stokowski, and Taylor that did not make the final cut appeared in Fantasia 2000 – most notably Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite (1919 version), which Walt initially preferred over The Rite of Spring until convinced by Taylor otherwise. In contrast to his company’s contemporary attitude, Walt Disney himself was disapproving towards proposing sequels, with Fantasia proving the only exception. Walt imagined sequels to Fantasia to be released every several years, with newer Fantasia sequences starring alongside one or two reruns. Other pieces Disney, Stokowski, and Taylor (who wrote additional introductions in anticipation of future Fantasia films; I am looking into whether these introductions still exist) contemplated remain unadapted as Fantasia segments. The notes and preliminary sketches of some of these proposed segments – including a fascinating consideration to adapt selections from Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen (the Ring cycle) to J.R.R. Tolkien’s then-newly-published children’s book The Hobbit – most likely reside in the Walt Disney Archives for reference if and when the company’s executives approve a third Fantasia movie.

Walt Disney’s dream of Fantasia sequels was quickly dashed. His proposal to add Fantasound – the studio’s prototypical variant of a stereo sound system – proved extravagantly expensive for all but a dozen movie theaters in the United States. Released as a roadshow (a limited national tour of major American cities followed by a general release), the inflated ticket prices due to the roadshow’s Fantasound system harmed Fantasia’s box office. Though a vast majority of film critics and some within classical music circles hailed Fantasia, the vocal and vehement division was inescapable. Some cultural and film critics, citing solely that Walt Disney had bothered to touch classical music, castigated Walt and Fantasia as pretentious (classical music’s negative reputation of being dated, inaccessible, and snobby was not nearly as widespread in the 1940s as it is today; musical appreciation and education has receded in the U.S. in the last several decades). Intransigent classical music purists – usually noting Stokowski’s frequent cutting of the music – lambasted Fantasia as debasing the compositions (I dislike Stokowski’s cutting, certain stretches of the Bach and Stravinsky recordings, and much of the Pastoral’s story, but this is a reactionary overreach). The negativity from both spheres stole the headlines, eroding interest from North American audiences. With the European box office non-existent, Pinocchio and Fantasia stood no chance of turning a profit on their initial releases. Their combined commercial failure sent the studio in a financial tailspin – a crisis that a comparatively low-budget Dumbo single-handedly averted.

Rankled by the criticism directed towards Fantasia, Walt Disney’s anger turned inwards, fostering a personal and corporate disdain of intellectuals that marked the rest of his career. One sees it in his irritation towards critics decrying the handling of race in Song of the South (1946); it is also there in his dismissive treatment of P.L. Travers over an adaptation of her novel Mary Poppins.

Mounting tension among Disney’s animators over credits, favoritism towards veteran animators over the studio’s pay scale and workplace amenities, the announcement of future layoffs due to the studio’s financial crisis, the unionization of animators at all of Disney’s rival studios, and Walt’s political naïveté in heeding the words of Gunther Lessing (the studio’s anti-communist legal counsel) threatened to explode into public view. On May 28, 1941, unionized Disney animators began what is known – and downplayed to this day by the Walt Disney Company – as the Disney animators’ strike. The strike, which lasted for two months, shredded friendships between strikers and non-strikers. Walt Disney, who surveyed the striking animators and filed away names in his deep memory, is said to have repeatedly referred to the strikers as, “commie sons of bitches”. More than once at the studio’s entrance, Walt slammed on his car’s accelerator towards the strikers and hit the brakes before making contact.

Under pressure from lenders, Walt recognized the union in late July but nevertheless fired numerous striking (and non-striking) animators in the months afterwards. Many of those terminated by Disney joined cross-Hollywood rivals or founded the upstart United Productions of America (UPA; Mr. Magoo series, 1962’s Gay Purr-ee). An embittered Walt would never again feel the sense of family among his studio’s staff as he did in the 1920s and ‘30s at the Hyperion studio, despite his public persona and statements to the contrary.

A wonder of filmmaking, Fantasia arrived in movie theaters as Disney’s Golden Age began to fracture. If not for war or Walt Disney’s obstinance, this era might have lasted longer. In the decades since, the contemptuous responses to Fantasia from classical music elites have cooled – for classical music lovers with not nearly as much institutional power, Fantasia has indeed become a beloved gateway into the genre. Its irrepressible beauty, invention, and bravery as a visual concert cannot be overstated.

My rating: 10/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating.

This is the sixteenth Movie Odyssey Retrospective. Movie Odyssey Retrospectives are reviews on films I had seen in their entirety before this blog’s creation or films I failed to give a full-length write-up to following the blog’s creation. Previous Retrospectives include The Wizard of Oz (1939), Dumbo (1941), and Godzilla (1954).

For more of my reviews, check out the “My Movie Odyssey” tag on my blog.

* The completed Clair de Lune segment was re-edited and integrated into Make Mine Music (1946).

‡ Mussorgsky’s original score for Night on Bald Mountain – which was not performed again during his lifetime following the piece’s premiere – went missing after his death in 1881. In 1886, fellow composer and colleague Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, controversially began editing Mussorgsky’s partially missing scores using his “musical conscience” (including the opera Boris Godunov). Rimsky-Korsakov wanted to preserve and retain his colleague’s music among aficionados of Russian classical music. The version of Night on Bald Mountain heard in Fantasia is Rimsky-Korsakov’s arrangement of the piece. Mussorgsky’s original score to Night on Bald Mountain was found in 1968, but the Rimsky-Korsakov arrangement is more frequently performed today.

#Fantasia #Walt Disney #Leopold Stokowski #Deems Taylor #Mickey Mouse #Philadelphia Orchestra #Joe Grant #Dick Huemer #James Wong Howe #Fred Moore #T. Hee #Norm Ferguson #Wilfred Jackson #Bill Tytla #My Movie Odyssey

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biostudyblog · 5 years ago

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Motivation and Emotion

Theories of Motivation

When Charles Darwin came up with his theory of evolution, many psychologists attempted to use it to explain all human behaviours through instincts that were weeded out through natural selection. There is still a debate about how much of our behaviour is decided through instinct, but it is agreed that many human behaviours are not.

Drive Reduction Theory

You’ll notice the creative naming of most of these theories. This theory is that our behaviour is controlled by physical needs. A drive is an impulse to act in such a way that satisfies an unfulfilled need to reduce that drive: you’re driven to eat a sandwich when you’re hungry. Every drive is your bodies attempt to maintain homeostasis or internal balance. When your brain determines that it doesn’t have enough glucose, that triggers a series of signals which eventually cause you to feel hungry to replenish glucose reserves. There are primary drives and secondary drives. A primary drive is a biological need, such as sex. A secondary drive is a learnt need like money.

Arousal Theory

Arousal theory states that we are constantly seeking an optimum level of arousal (not just sex. Get your mind out of the gutter.) Every person has a different optimum level of excitement someone with a high optimum level may be drawn to high thrill activities like rollercoasters or skydiving. That level also changes based on activity. We may do great at an easy task when extremely aroused, but not so well on a more difficult one. The relationship between arousal and performance is modelled by the Yerkes-Dodson curve.

Another theory of motivation similar to arousal theory is the opponent-process theory of motivation (Yes, it’s the same name as the opponent-process theory of colour vision. Psychologists hate us and want us to do poorly on exams.) This theory tends to be used to explain addiction. People are usually at a baseline (normal) state. We may do things that move us away from that baseline state, such as having a pint. Initially, that action may be pleasurable, but eventually we feel an opponent-process, a motivation to return to our normal baseline state. An alcoholic may get sick of feeling drunk and want to quit drinking, but due to withdrawal it’s made extremely difficult, and moves us away from our natural baseline. That alcoholic may have a godawful hangover without alcohol, so he is motivated to return to the baseline state of feeling all right, motivating him to have more pints to feel normal again.

Incentive Theory

Incentives are stimuli we are drawn to due to learning- we learn to associate stimuli with rewards or punishment- for example, you could play Halo for 3 hours the night before an exam, but you learn to associate that with poor marks, motivating you to crack open a textbook and revise so that you get high marks.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Humanist Abraham Maslow states that not all needs are equal. Our needs can be modelled as a pyramid, detailing which needs we want to satisfy before the others. To model, imagine a man trapped on a desert island with a few other survivors.

Physiological Needs: Needs like hunger, thirst, and sex. Say you arrived and you were extremely hungry. Before he can think about anything else, he’d likely start hunting down some food, and some water.

Safety Needs: The need to feel safe and out of danger. The island gets scary, especially at night, so the man constructs a hut that completely shelters him from the creatures that may roam the island.

Belongingness and Love Needs: The need to be accepted and belong somewhere. With the bottom two needs satisfied, the man may start trying to befriend the other survivors to try and form a community with them.

Esteem Needs: The need to gain approval and recognition. With his new community, the man may want to feel like he has a purpose with the new community- he may feel connected to his identity as the fisherman of the group that everyone recognises and appreciates.

Self Actualisation: With all of his other needs met, the man is now fully capable of fulfilling his unique potential.

While this theory explains a lot of human behaviour, there are many behaviours it doesn’t explain. Many poor parents go hungry in order to save enough money for their children to enjoy small luxuries. People are constantly putting their own lives at risk in order to save others; Malala Youzafi risked her life to speak out about women’s education in Pakistan.

Hunger Motivation

Some human behaviours can be deceptive in their complexity. Why do we get hungry? Because we need food- but that’s not always the case. For example, people tend to eat junk food like crisps while watching films despite not needing those crisps to feel full, and despite not feeling hungry at all.

Biological Basis of Hunger

There are several known biological cues which trigger hunger. By putting balloons into research subjects stomachs, and deflating and inflating them, researchers found that when the stomach is full we feel less hungry. The hypothalamus also plays an important role in hunger. By stimulating different animals brain, it was found that different parts of the hypothalamus are acting in opposition to controlling hunger. The lateral hypothalamus, also known as the hunger centre causes animals to eat when stimulated. The ventromedial hypothalamus, also known as the satiety centre causes animals to stop eating when stimulated. These two regions of the brain balance each other out.

The set-point theory is one theory that explains how the hypothalamus picks the correct impulse. The hypothalamus has an optimum body weight it wants to remain at. When our weight goes down, it lowers our metabolic rate (how quickly our body uses energy) and tells us to eat. When it goes up, it raises our metabolic rate and tells us to stop eating. Some researchers feel that psychological factors like learning and cognition are more important in weight maintenance. Along with that, the brain is analysing glucose and insulin levels to determine if food needs to be eaten.

Psychological Factors

Some reasons we get hungry have nothing to do with physiology. Some research has shown that some people (appropriately dubbed externals) are motivated to eat by external food cues and presentation of food and less motivated by internal food cues. An external food cue would be watching people eat Mcdonalds in an advertisement. An internal food cue would be feeling stressed and wanting to eat to feel better. Everyone responds to both to greater or lesser extents. The Garcia effect drastically affects what foods make us hungry. If you eat something and feel sick soon after, it makes it extremely difficult to stomach that food again. One time, when I was younger, I ate some ham, and soon after came down with the flu, and was puking my guts out. Logically, I knew that the ham had nothing to do with my sickness, but for a long time after I couldn’t even look at ham without flashing back to that sickness. Our culture also has a massive effect on what we find more appetising. I’m from England, so food that sounds appetising to me (beans on toast for example) may sound completely unappetising to readers not from there.

Eating Disorders

(Trigger Warning for discussions of different kinds of eating disorders. I’ll put a picture of my pet rat at the end of this section if you need to skip it. If you feel like you need help, please click this link for a list of hotlines with trained professionals on the other end of the line who can help you or someone you know through a crisis: https://www.bulimia.com/topics/eating-disorder-hotline/)

Another extreme example of hunger motivation not matching up with physiology is eating disorders. 3% of adolescents are diagnosed with one type of eating disorder, and disordered eating habits have become a massive problem in American culture. The three most common eating disorders are as follows:

Bulimia- Bulimia is characterised by periods of binging and then periods of purging (or non-purging in the case of non-purging types). Bulimics tend to eat massive amounts of food (although this is not always the case) and then purge it in any way they can, whether that be by throwing up, using laxatives, intense exercise, or fasting.

Anorexia-Anorexia is characterised by starvation. Anorexics tend to deal with a condition known as body dysmorphic disorder (although bulimics tend to suffer from it as well) where the brain obsesses over perceived “fat” even going so far as to having sufferers see themselves as larger than they are. Anorexics will starve themselves, or eat hardly anything for long periods of time.

Binge eating disorder- A harmful narrative surrounding eating disorders is the lack of conversation about the other end of the scale. Those suffering from BED tend to have recurring episodes where they eat massive quantities of food, often eating to the point of discomfort, and feeling a loss of control.

EDNOS/OSFED- (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified or Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder). Not everyone suffers from the 3 main eating disorders. This diagnosis encompasses people who deal with disordered eating, but can’t quite be diagnosed into one of the 3. Some examples are purging disorder, night eating syndrome, and atypical anorexia nervosa.

The emphasis a culture places on weight tends to influence rates of eating disorders. It’s likely for this reason the US has some of the highest rates of documented eating disorders.

Sexual Motivation

Here’s the part of the discussion I’m sure you were waiting for once I mentioned arousal (you dirty-minded bastards.) Sex, like everything else has biological influences and psychological ones.

The Sexual Response Cycle

William Masters and Virginia Johnson were responsible for documenting the 4 steps in the sexual response cycle in adults (and I’m sure they had fun doing it.)

Initial Excitement: This is the point where blood rushes to the genitals. The clitoris will swell and the penis becomes erect. Heart rate and breathing rate also increase, and the skin may become flushed.

Plateau Phase: This is the point where genitals secrete fluids to prepare for sex. The heart rate and breathing rate also continue to rise.

Orgasm: Genitals begin to contract- heart and breathing rate continue to rise even further and men typically ejaculate. The release of neurotransmitters like endorphins and dopamine contribute to a sense of euphoria in both men and women.

Resolution Phase: Respiration and heart rate return to normal, and men enter a refractory period. Women, however, can enter back into the cycle immediately.

Psychological Factors

Hormones don’t strictly motivate sexual desires. One elusive aspect of sexuality is sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is an extremely (and unfortunately) controversial aspect of sexuality. Researchers like Alfred Kinsey (who developed the Kinsey scale which tracks the variety of human sexual behaviours) haven’t been able to push back against many of the rumours that exist about less “traditional” sexualities. There is little known about what causes sexual orientation, but no correlation has been found between trauma in childhood, parenting styles, relationship with parents, or masculinity and femininity and sexuality. Twin studies have found a genetic influence- one identical twin is likely to be gay if his twin is, and hormones in the womb may influence orientation.

Social Motivation

Humans aren’t robots. We experience more motivation outside of satisfying our needs for sex and food. Why are you reading this Tumblr post instead of reproducing, for example?

Achievement Motivation

One theory that attempts to explain more complex behaviours is a desire to master complex tasks and knowledge and to achieve personal goals. Research has found that people with high achievement motivation are consistently motivated to challenge themselves more than others, constantly setting the bar a little higher. This motivation varies between people and between activities. Clearly, I’m extremely motivated to do better in my classes since I’m sitting at my desk at midnight writing this- but I know how to cook 5 meals, and only 3 well because I have no motivation to do better at cooking.

Extrinsic/Intrinsic Motivation

Another way to think about social motivation is where the push is coming from. Extrinsic motivators are rewards we get for accomplishments outside of us (treats, high marks, salary etc). Intrinsic motivators are internal rewards like enjoyment or satisfaction. Are you reading this Tumblr blog because you want to get an A in your psychology class, or because you’re interested in psychology? Research into this form of social motivation tends to benefit managers and other leaders- studies show that advantageous behaviour we want to continue persists when influenced by intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation tends to be more short-lived.

Management Theory

Studies looking into different management styles have found 2 main attitudes which affect how good managers are at their jobs.

Theory X: Managers believe employers will only work if rewarded for good work and punished for bad.

Theory Y: Managers believe employees are intrinsically motivated to do good work so policy should foster this motivation.

Theory Y has shown promise in promoting a better work environment and longer employee satisfaction.

When Motives Conflict

When discussing motivational conflict, psychologists tend to split them int 4 categories. Approach-approach conflict occurs when you have to pick between two good outcomes (Do I want to get ice cream or do I want to get brownies?) Avoidance-avoidance conflict occurs when you have to choose between to negative outcomes (Should I clear out the garage or deep clean the bathroom this Sunday?) An approach-avoidance conflict occurs when one event has both negative and positive features. (Even though I’m lactose intolerant, should I have some ice cream?) Finally, there’s multiple approach-avoidance conflicts. This is a situation where people are forced to pick one of multiple situations all with good and bad aspects about it. (Should I attend University A, B, or C?)

Emotion Theories

James-Lange Vs Cannon-Bard

One of the older theories of emotion came from psychologists William James and Carl Lange, who states that we feel emotion because of biological changes caused by stress. This theory was eventually challenged by Walter Cannon and Philip Bard who found that similar physiological changes occur due to drastically different emotional states- sometimes your heart races when you’re terrified or when you’re really excited. Cannon felt that the thalamus was both responsible for the biological change and the cognitive experience of emotion. When the thalamus receives signals informing us about our environment, it sends signals both to our cortex and the autonomic nervous system, making the physiological change and the conscious experience of emotion occur at the same time.

Two-Factor Theory

Stanley Schachter’s two-factor theory does a much better job of completely explaining emotion than both James-Lange and Cannon-Bard’s theories do. He thought that both our physical response and our cognitive label combine to form an emotional response. He found that people who are already stimulated will experience emotions more intensely than those who aren’t already stimulated.

Nonverbal Expressions of Emotion

Our nonverbal methods of communicating how we’re feeling have been found to be universal. Most every culture has the same basic facial expression to express happiness, sadness, anger, fear, etc. Research into sociobiology suggests that our facial expressions are actually a part of our genetics.

Stress

Stress and emotion are inherently linked. Psychologists tend to use stress to understand motivation and emotion along with help deal with problems caused by it. Stress can refer to life events (stressors) or our reaction to those stressors (stress reactions)

Measuring Stress

Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe were the first to design an instrument that could measure stress. They used a social readjustment rating scale (SRRS) to measure stress using Life Change Units (LCUs). Someone taking this test would report a change in their life, such as having a new baby and each change would be assigned a different LCU. Different events were ascribed different LCU levels based on their intensity and their positivity- being married counts for more LCUs than being fired does. This method is not as widely used anymore as we now have more sophisticated ways to measure stress that include individual perception of events.

Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome

Hans Selye’s general adaptation syndrome (GAS) is a description of the general response humans and animals have to a stressful event. His GAS Theory moves through the following stages:

Alarm Reaction: Heart rate increases, blood diverts from other parts of the body to the muscle, sympathetic nervous system is activated

Resistance: The body stays physiologically prepared. Hormones are released to ensure this preparedness lasts- spending too long in this stage can cause the body to exhaust itself.

Exhaustion: The parasympathetic nervous system is activated and returns our physiological state to normal. We are most vulnerable to disease in this stage especially after spending an abnormally long amount of time in the resistance stage.

Perceived Control

Studies have shown that a perceived lack of control contributes to stress. Rats who were given control over the duration of an electric shock were less likely to develop ulcers- patients given control over their morphine dosage tend to report better pain control. The feeling of a loss of control the COVID-19 outbreak has caused has massively contributed to the spike in mental health cases occurring as people are stuck in their homes.

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